Sacrifices
by Meye
Summary: Centaurus SEQUEL - A year has passed since the events of Centaurus, as the gang finally enjoy their new life without their lost friend a new darkness is coming their way... They will have to face Cleatus visions as Mystic Fall turns into a battleground.
1. Preface

**Sacrifices**

**Disclaimer:** This story is based on characters and situations from _The Vampire Diaries_ series created by _L. J. Smith_ and developed by _Kevin Williamson/CW Network_. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringements are intended. OCs are all mine, please ask before using them anywhere.

**Rating:** M (for most chapters)

**Warnings:** slight OOC for some of the "new" characters

**Beta Reader:** The lovely _OnyxvanGem_

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><p><strong>About Sacrifices<strong>

Thank you for reading _Sacrifices_. This is _Centaurus_ sequel and you won't understand this story unless you've read _Centaurus_ and _Centaurus Oneshots_.

There will be some French (and a little bit of Polish, Latin & Spanish) along the way; translation will be at the end of each chapter. (I speak French fluently.)

On a side note, all chapters' titles are song titles.

When the whole story is posted; I'll post _Sacrifices A companion piece_, which will contain; a Timeline, all the French (Polish, Latin & Spanish) translations, OCs info and a playlist.

My story starts at the end of summer 2010 and ends somewhere in the year 2000-something. ;p

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><p><strong>What<strong>**you need to know before reading **_**Sacrifices**_**:**

- The story starts three weeks after _Chapter Centaurus_.

- The whole series is an AU after _The Masquerade_ episode from Season 2. Basically my Klaus isn't a hybrid, all Vampires including the Originals burn under the sun if unprotected and the curse of the sun and the moon is real and a LOT of characters are still very alive.

- The deaths in the TV Show only influenced how one of the characters died and that's it.

- You might see one familiar scene from the series that was slightly changed for the story.

_ENJOY__ YOUR READING!_


	2. Prologue, Scarborough Fair

**Disclaimer:** This story is based on characters and situations from _The Vampire Diaries_ series created by _L. J. Smith_ and developed by _Kevin Williamson/CW Network_. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringements are intended. OCs are all mine, please ask before using them anywhere.

**Beta Reader:** The lovely _OnyxvanGem_

****A/N: ****_HIYA! Thank you so much everyone for your patience! I just wanted to thank Nyx and Jacal Ste. Worme for their help and support! SO, here is Centaurus sequel! ENJOY!_

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><p><strong><span>Prologue - Scarborough Fair<span>**

_~ August 17th 2010 ~_

_Positive_.

For the tenth time, _Positive_.

She kept looking at it, hoping it would change. Maybe it was her powers going wonky. What was she going to do? How was she supposed to move on, now? Had he thought about that? Had he already known it would come to this? She was so mad at him. Why hadn't he let someone else take his place?

She went to his bedroom and sat on the bed, she cried silently.

"I-I can't… I can't do this." she whispered.

…

She was downtown, standing in front of the clinic. It had taken her a week to get an appointment for the surgical procedure. Why was she so anxious now? She had been so sure when she had called, but now, standing here, it was becoming so real and she didn't know what to do. She took a deep breath and went in. It was beautiful inside and she could hear soft whisperings. She looked around getting more nervous with each step she took.

She finally reached the front desk and talked with the receptionist for a few minutes. She filled out the requested documentation and some health check paperwork. Afterward, she went in the waiting room. There were four other women in the room. Two of them were sitting quietly with their boyfriend, she assumed. One was alone like her and the last one was either with her partner or a girl friend.

She sat, closed her eyes and waited.

…

_She startled went she felt a hand running through her hair. She opened her eyes and saw that she was alone in the room. She stood up and went back to the receptionist; she was missing. She took a deep breath and tried to calm down. She went outside the clinic; complete silence, she was alone. What was happening? She felt the same caress again, but no one was around._

"_Please, please, please… make this a dream, it can't be real…" she murmured to herself._

"_Child…" she heard the androgynous voice say._

"_You…" she reply surprised at hearing the divinity they had started to refer to as the Sky. "Why was I brought here?"_

"_I can't let you kill your future daughter."_

_She shocked back a sob. "It's a girl?"_

"_Yes, your beautiful Deana." replied the Sky._

"_I can't do this alone."_

"_You are not alone child. Don't let your pain destroy this gift."_

…

She was shaken awake.

"Mrs Bennett?" asked a nurse. "Are you okay?"

"I can't do this. I'm so sorry," replied Lucy.

"We understand, it is hard to make such an important decision." said the woman, smiling warmly at her.

_~ 3 months later ~_

Four months into her pregnancy couldn't stop Lucy from doing witchcraft. She had kept quiet about being pregnant when she had spoken to her cousin. Everything seemed all right back in Mystic Fall. She wasn't ashamed of her pregnancy, far from it, but she wanted to do this alone. She wanted to be selfish by keeping her daughter for herself until she had no choice, but to share her secret.

A few days after seeing Athena and her son, Lucy had left Mystic Fall. So now, she was living in a big house on Mount Royal that had belonged to Cleatus, Athena and Deena. She had taken over Cleatus bedroom. She had been sick the last days she had spent in Mystic Fall, but had waited until she was in Montreal to do a pregnancy test. She had tried to get an abortion, but the Sky had come to her in a vision and hearing the name of her future daughter had been enough to stop her.

Life in the city was good. Back in Mystic Fall, the gang had waited a week before going through Cleatus room. They had found many things, but one of them had been a sealed package for her. Inside, she had found jewellery, spell books, journals and a bank account card with her name on it. A small paper had been attached to it with Cleatus name on it. She had assumed it to be the password. She had been quite shocked when she had called the Canadian Bank and learned the amount left for her in the account. She had expected some money, but nothing close to a 7 digits number. She couldn't deny the joy of unemployment. She spent her days learning new spells, exercising; visit some art galleries and visiting the city in general.

The first few weeks in the house had been hard. Cleatus presence was everywhere and seeing so many items that had belonged to the druid had been heartbreaking. But after a while, it had been what had kept her going. Just like her cousin Bonnie, Lucy had vision from touching people and sometimes from touching object. Though, since she had started to sleep with Cleatus, her visions had gotten stronger. So it became a routine for her to be hit by random visions of Cleatus when touching his belongings.

Over the last month, she had felt his presence at night, like he was either lying beside her or standing beside the bed, looking over her. At first, she had thought it was hallucinations, but when the feeling kept coming back, she knew something was happening. As sad as not having him was, she was glad to feel him, knowing that he was indeed watching over her from above. Did he knew about their child? He had never told her what would really happened to him up there. Was he really alone with Klaus? That was almost as punishment for him that it had been for Klaus. Thinking about it made her laugh; Cleatus would probably spend eternity antagonizing the Original.

…

_Lucy opened her eyes and couldn't stop the pained gasp that escaped her mouth. She knew this nightmare by heart; Cleatus death. She was wearing the same clothes she had worn that day. Back in Mystic Fall, she had touched Bonnie and had been assailed by the event of that faithful night. She had cried so hard to see and hear Cleatus returning her affection for the first time. She had always known he cared, but he had refused to give her false hope. Even though it would break her heart to see the vision again, it was also a peaceful moment to hear those words. She closed her eyes and let the pull of her dream guide her toward the meadow. She was surprised when no voice could be heard. She looked around and was shock to see that it was daytime in the meadow and that she was alone, wearing her nightgown. This was new, she felt at peace._

_Suddenly, there was a sound, like someone had taken a bite out of an apple and was munching on it._

"_I was hoping that your dreams of me would have been more pleasant. I must admit that I'm a little bit disappointed." said a male voice._

"_Cleatus?" she gasped, but no one was around. She sighed. "I'm going crazy."_

"_Are you?" asked the same voice right behind her._

_She turned around startled, and she saw him._

"_C-Cleatus? But…" she said, eyes watering. "You can't be real…" she concluded taking a step back._

"_Ah! My Lucy, always careful not to trust anyone. I'm real." the druid replied smiling gently at her. "Well, as real as a dream can be."_

"_You can't be…"_

"_I am."_

"_Prove it." she challenged him._

"_Well, that could be troublesome. How can I prove that I'm not a figment of your imagination or something evil?"_

"_You tell me."_

"_Lucy I can't… wait. I know how, but if I go now, you won't see me for a while." he looked at her, but she appeared unconvinced. He sighed. "Across my bed, there is a wall with no decoration, it is an illusion. There IS something decorating the wall, but it is hidden. If I was there I would easily break the spell for you to see it, but sadly, I can't. You will have to break the spell yourself. You will find your answer in my books."_

"_Which one?"_

"_That is for you to find. Lucy, once you wake up, it will be a long time before I come back. Doing this level of magic is very demanding for both parties, but since I don't want anything bad happening to you and our daughter," he paused giving her one of his rare breathtaking smile. "I'm only using my magic to make the spell. It takes a lot of mediation."_

"_I don't want to talk about her until I know for sure you are real." she looked away. "How long?"_

"_The time, where I am, isn't working the same way as here. But I would say between a couple of weeks to a month. The hardest part is done, which was to open the connection to do the spell. That is why you have been feeling me around. Appearing while you are awake is impossible, since you would have to be summoning me, which I forbid you to do. But going into your dreams is possible as you can see. But I can only visit you. Once our daughter is born, I'll be able to bring her into your dreams."_

_She nodded._

"_I won't disturb you more." said Cleatus._

"_N-No, it's not that, it's just…"_

"_I understand Lucy. You can't trust me, and you know I wouldn't want to give you false hope. But no going back to this awful dream. I'll put you somewhere you deserve to be and that you will enjoy, I'm sure of it," he seemed to hesitate. "Until our next meeting." he finished, giving her a kiss on the check before disappearing._

_A blasting light filled the meadow and she felt like she was falling slowly, no she was floating. She closed her eyes for a few seconds and when she opened them again, she found herself in the hotel room where she had first slept with Cleatus. She couldn't control her body. He had thrown her inside a memory._

_She smiled._

…

The next morning she woke up totally relaxed. She hadn't slept so well in a while. She looked at the wall across the room; it was blank. She jumped out of bed. She took a quick shower and went downstairs to make herself some breakfast. Then she went back to Cleatus study and started looking for anything illusion related. This was definitely going to take a while. The writings in the books were old Celtic, but which languages was it?

She couldn't read anything; she would have to find in her own book a translation spell. Apparently, Cleatus had always been careful with his books. Whatever is was a personal journal or a spell book, only the ones with light spells where translated in English or French. And it was obvious that the one translated had been edited too, just like Bonnie's book. He was a smart man, always thinking before plunging into action and always a step ahead of everyone.

'_Well, almost every time._' She thought looking down at herself, she still wasn't showing yet, but she knew it wouldn't be long.

It was hilarious when she thought about it; the only time he had let himself go, they had created a child. It brought back good memories, and they were making her horny. Damn hormones, this wasn't the time to get hot! She tried to think about something else, to no avail. She went back to bed and as soon as she laid her head down, she was assailed by visions of their last days together.

_[FLASHBACK]_

_Her phone rang, alerting her that she had received a text message. She looked at it._

_:: I need your help.::_

_She checked the sender and was surprised to see who it was._

_::Texting… This is new from you. What do you need?::_

_::I'm trying to impress you with my knowledge! ;) Seriously, I've sent you an email with an address. Can you make it there at 7am the day after tomorrow?::_

_She looked at the address._

_::You're kidding? Isn't that next to Mystic Fall?::_

_::Yes. I need your help Lucy and you are the only one who can help me.::_

_::What happened?::_

_::I'll tell you later, but this is about what I've been working on all my life, but something came up that I hadn't planed.::_

_::I'll be there.::_

_::Thank you Lucy.::_

_::After everything you have done for me, I should be the one thanking you. See you in 2 days. 3::_

_::Ok.::_

…

_She had arrived earlier and had gone to the washroom too many times to count, checking herself out in the mirror. She hadn't seen Cleatus over the last six months. She felt like a schoolgirl waiting for her teenager crush to come around. She was wearing a short yellow smocked strapless dress that had a brown leather belt, with a chocolate leather Motorcycle jacket and a pair of chocolate leather cone-heel booties. She made sure her make-up was perfect and smiled at herself, happy with her look. She went back to the boot she had reserved in an alcove. There wasn't any other table around it, they would be able to talk privately; it was perfect!_

_She knew the moment he had set foot in the restaurant; the shift in the air was impressive._

_He was coming toward her. As usual, he didn't have to look around; he knew instinctively where she was. She thought that over time, it would stop impressing her, but it always did. It had been a while since she had seen him dressing so casually, he was gorgeous. He was wearing a white long sleeve low V-neck top, with a pair of dark loose jeans and lace up desert boots._

_She stood up to greet him. "Hello Cleatus. Long time no see!"_

_He embraced her as a friend would have. She had learned by now that he was a very private man._

"_How am I supposed to think straight with the way you dress?" he whispered against her ear as a greeting._

_She laughed and they sit down._

"_So, what's wrong? It's the first time you've ever called me for help."_

"_I need you to protect Athena and her unborn child."_

_She blinked repetitively at him._

"_Say that again? She is pregnant? Who's the father?" she asked dumbfounded._

_The druid sighed. "Damon Salvatore. And before you say anything, yes, it is the one you know and the one who's in the same gang as your cousin. I have so much to tell you Lucy…"_

_He talked to her for about two hours as they ate. She finally knew the truth. All those years, thinking those vampire killings had been random, when in fact, they had been justified. Now though, she regretted knowing everything, he could die, no he had said: "I will probably die; such a spell require a key to lock it for good. I've made peace with it a long time ago."_

_She now understood why he had tried so hard to push her toward other men. Still, she was certain he would try to find a way to escape such a faith. She followed him as they drove their way to a small house about ten hours from Mystic Fall. This would be Athena and Damon safe house until Klaus attack. They entered, both still silent._

"_I didn't say it earlier, but I'm glad that you are still wearing the pendant I gave you." said Cleatus going into the empty living room._

"_I never remove it, except that one time when I helped Katherine. But even there, I had it on me. So, what do I do?"_

"_Take this," he said giving her an urn. "And draw those symbols as big as you can on the living room floor."_

"_Okay." she looked at the symbols, probably some old Celtic languages, she could never tell. She then opened the urn and saw its content; ashes. "Who's ashes are these?"_

"_The Originals… well, their right hands anyway."_

"_Oh…"_

_When everything was done, Cleatus came back and stood in front of her on the other side of the symbols. He opened two small flasks and spat the blood that was inside on the floor._

"_I want you to remember this spell, one day, it might come in handy. I will open a connection between us. This is a strong shielding spell. It requires a few thing, one, a caster, two, and a guardian. The guardian is a caster too, but he is the back-up in case the caster dies. If it were to happen that both caster and guardian died, the shield would break. And three, you need the ones being protected, if they aren't with you, you will need their blood; like I used. You can draw the symbols with anything. But ashes is the best, the closest to what you are shielding it against, the better."_

"_And if your enemy is unknown?"_

"_Smart girl!" he replied with a grin, winking at her. "If your enemy is unknown, you take one drop of blood from everyone who needs protection and you mix it with the soil around the house. You burn it to get ashes and you draw the symbols with it. If you can get everyone to be present during the casting, it is better. The spell will work differently. Instead of protecting against a foe, it will attack the foe. Meaning that no one will be able to enter the house except the ones protected, the caster and the guardian. In the other case, anyone who doesn't mean arm to the protected can get in."_

"_Ok. But let say that someone change their allegiance along the way… What happens then?"_

"_Good girl! The house will reject that person. I could say that the spell is sentient. Also, the wards are extended to the whole house, not just the inside."_

"_What do you mean?"_

"_Mm… Ah! I know. Let's say a vampire wants to attack you and you are running toward your house; considering you are running just as fast. Basically, to be protected, you will have to enter the house. But with this spell, if you have a front porch, it will also be shielded. Meaning that as long as you touch the house, you are safe."_

"_Impressive."_

"_You're ready?"_

"_Yes."_

_As soon as the connection was open, she was assailed by his magical strength. He started to chant and after hearing the words a few times, she was able to chant them with him. She saw the ashes forming a small tornado, before they were blasted across the room. She felt the house humming and then nothing._

_She looked at Cleatus and couldn't hold it, she laughed. They were both smeared with ashes. They needed a shower. She went into the hallway toward the front door to pick up her stuff in her car, when Cleatus pushed her, back against the wall._

"_Is everything okay?" she asked._

_He took both of her hands, held them above her head and kissed her fiercely. It was all tongue and teeth. She felt like he was trying to devour her. He let go of her hands and put his around her tights lifting her up. He started to grind against her, growling._

"_I need you," he said lustfully._

_He slid a hand under her dress and pulled at her panties. She lifted a leg so he could remove it from one side and let the discarded garment hang around her ankle. She put a foot against the wall while fumbling with his jeans._

_As soon as they were opened, she took out his throbbing member; he wasn't wearing anything else underneath. While she caressed him languorously, he inserted two fingers inside her wet channel._

_She loved it when he was like this, all needy. She admired his self-control; he had probably wanted her since he had seen her in the restaurant. She pushed his fingers aside and positioned his erection at her entrance. He didn't need more prompting and pushed deep inside her quivering body._

"_Yess… so good…" she moaned, putting her arms around his neck._

"_Look at me Lucy…"_

_She did and saw his eyes flashing silver before his power flown through her, almost sending her over to the edge. He kept rocking inside her tight channel driving them both somewhere that nothing else but them existed. He changed his angle and started to pound against her g-spot, making the witch scream as she came repeatedly under his ministrations._

"_CLEATUS…" she roared in pleasure as she felt a huge wave a power coursing through her as he came, spilling his seed inside her._

_They kissed lazily, taking their time to taste each other._

"_I'll go and get our stuff in the cars. Would you like to start the shower?" he murmured against her lips._

_She nodded._

_They had spent the day in bed making love. The next day, he had had a vision about Athena and Damon and had changed their plans. The couple wouldn't make it to the safe house no matter what. He had to let his best friend getting captured by Klaus. They had found a way to save both Athena and Damon before they parted ways…_

_[END OF FLASHBACK]_

She woke up the next morning with a start. It had been the last time she had seen him. Now, she was even more determined to find the spell to reveal what was on the wall, but most of all finding proof that the man in her dream had really been Cleatus.

…

It had taken her a week to find the right translation spell and another two to find the revealing one.

She chanted the spell over and over again. She knew it would be hard to break one of Cleatus spell, but she also knew that by already knowing that something was hidden, it would be easier to do it. After five minutes of intensive chanting, she felt like a curtain had opened and saw what Cleatus had hidden.

It was a black and white picture. But not what she was expecting; it was her portrait. She remembered showing this picture to Cleatus, telling him that at one point in her life, she had wanted to do some modeling and had done a small portfolio. The druid had wanted a picture and she had gladly given one to him. It had never occurred to her that he would put it in his room; and clearly not that big. Looking at it really fast, she guessed it was probably 3x4 feet tall. She sat on the bed, happy tears falling down her cheeks; the man had been Cleatus.

…

_She opened her eyes and looked around. She was in the middle of a long green grass field. It was sunny and a small breeze caressed her cheek. She felt someone moving behind her and realized that she was lying naked in a bed. She turned around and saw Cleatus sleeping peacefully. She smiled and caressed his hair gently. She was about to remove her hand when he caught it with his, opening his eyes._

"_Cleatus…" she whispered happily, letting the druid embracing her tightly._

"_It feels amazing to be able to touch you."_

_She pulled back smiling, before taking his hands and placing them against her stomach._

"_I'm so sorry I can't be there Lucy… So sorry… I saw her, the Sky showed her to me before I left. She will be beautiful."_

"_Will you be able to visit me more?"_

"_Yes, but only you and our daughter. How have you been?"_

"_How have I been? Really?" she laughed and kissed him._

"_Mm…"_

_She pulled back slowly, but stayed close. "I should be the one asking you that question," she said seriously._

_He sighed. "I can't lie. I don't have the best company in Klaus, but I'm getting more knowledge each passing day. Sadly, I'm forbidden to tell you anything."_

"_Do you still have your visions?"_

"_No. The Sky told me that I had to choose between visiting you or my visions and knowing what was ahead. My choice was easy, obviously!"_

"_Can you tell me why someone had to sacrifice their life for the Centaurus spell to work?"_

"_Each person who participated in the spell became a key to break it. By sacrificing my life, I've protected everyone. You need all of us to break the spell. So by letting someone up there you avoid any attempt to release Klaus."_

"_But if someone was to die?"_

"_The spell could be broken with the remaining people. You understand now why I had to do it…"_

"_Yes… I just… I miss you so much… And our daughter… Clea…" she couldn't finish as sobs escaped her mouth and she cried in the druid's arms._

"_It's okay… You will both be protected. Sleep…"_

_She closed her eyes, letting his heartbeat lull her to sleep._

_~ April 29__th__ 2011 ~_

The months had passed and Lucy had been able to keep her secret. The Holidays had been a hard time. She had had to lie to Bonnie to avoid seeing her. Lucky for her, Bonnie 'lie detector' power didn't work over phone conversation. She had made peace with Cleatus death thanks to his monthly visit. They could now joke about it and the subjects of their meeting were lighter now.

She was getting prepared to leave for the hospital. She had called a taxi about five minutes ago. She knew she would she her daughter tonight, she could feel it. She made sure to take the baby clothes with protective Celtic symbols embroidered on them. Her daughter couldn't wear any jewellery yet, so with the help of Cleatus, she had been able to infuse the same kind of protection she had in her pendant in Deana's clothes. When she was done packing, she stood next to one of the front view window, waiting for the cab to arrive.

…

To say that Deana had been impatient to see this new world would have been quite right. Lucy's water had broken as soon as she had set foot in the Hospital. She had been taken to a delivery room; having contractions each 30 minutes. She had waited for another two hours before the doctor had finally decided to provoke the delivery. The strong contractions had hit out of nowhere and after three pushes, she had heard her daughter cries. After they had cleaned up the newborn, she had been placed in her mother's arms.

"Hello darling. So gorgeous, my beautiful Deana…" she was exhausted, but so proud of her daughter.

Just like Rain, Deana had a lot of hair for a newborn, but she had curly dirty blond hair. She was about the same skin tone as Rain or maybe a little bit paler. But she didn't care; her baby girl was simply beautiful. After a while, they took her daughter and brought her to the nursery so she could get some sleep.

…

_As soon as she opened her eyes, she jumped out of bed. She could feel his pull and knew she was dreaming. She walked slowly in the hallway toward the source of the pull. She saw him on the other side of the glass wall talking to their daughter. She entered the nursery silently and listened to him._

"_You are as beautiful as your mother." he said in a low and gentle voice. "You will be so powerful my Deana. Thank you for letting me bound with you as you did with your mother. I'll do everything I can to be there for you."_

_He felt Lucy's warm hand on his back and turned toward her. He gave her a kiss on the side of her forehead._

"_You did a great job today moja miłość__. The Sky gave me permission to give you a little boost; so tomorrow you will be back in shape."_

"_Did you old her?"_

"_No, I just came in. And I didn't dare to."_

"_Why not? She is your daughter Cleatus, you can hold her as much as I do, especially here!" she finished, taking the baby girl in her arms. "Take her!"_

_And he did. He rocked the little girl back to sleep slowly and put her back in her grid. He turned back to Lucy and pulled her in his arms, holding her tightly. She returned his embrace, but was shocked when she felt the connection between them opening, letting her feel his inconsolable sadness. He was so mad at himself for failing them; she could feel repressed regret too. It was heartbreaking to feel everything at once. She pulled back and saw his eyes teared up. He didn't cry, but his eyes reflected so much sadness._

"_It's okay. Please, you did what you had to do to protect us all. Even though you can't be here as much as we liked you to be, the important thing is that you are here. Let just be grateful for the time we have and be happy with it. Okay?"_

"_Yes…" he replied in a whisper before kissing her tenderly._

…

Almost three months had passed. In five days, it would be Rain's first birthday and Athena had invited her to come for the huge party she was throwing for her baby boy. When she had tried to give a reason not to show up, she had been shocked by Athena's reply.

_[FLASHBACK]_

_She saw the number on her phone; Athena. She answered._

"_Hey Athena. How are you?"_

"_Great! You?"_

"_Doing good. What can I do for you?"_

"_As you know, Rain will be one year old in a week and I wanted to know if you could come over for the party?"_

"_I'm sorry, I won't be able to make it. I have…"_

"_Cut the crap, Bennett!" cut in Athena sounding offended. "You're trying to lie to me? Really? What have you been hiding, Lucy? I let it passed back then because it was the Holidays and I figured you didn't want to be around cheerful people when Cleatus wasn't there. But now, it's obvious that you are avoiding us. Why?"_

"_I can't come. I'm sorry." she said hanging up. She knew she would regret hanging up on Athena. As nice as she was, the Shape-shifter had a bad temper when it came to certain things. Rudeness was one of those._

_[END OF FLASHBACK]_

As she looked at Deana sleeping she was hit by a vision.

"_Run child. You have to hurry and go back to Mystic Fall. Something is coming from far away. We cannot protect the child if you're away. You have to go back…"_ _said the Sky urgently. "Go to the library, you will find a book to seal the house until you come back."_

She gasped coming back to reality. She took her phone and called her travel agent to find her the first flight to Covington, Virginia. She got lucky; there was a redeye flight today. She reserved it. While her daughter slept peacefully, she ran around the house putting clothes and stuff in two huge suitcases. She then went to the library and easily found the book. It was a simple, yet powerful spell to seal the house to anyone, but the owners.

…

She looked outside at the black sky, then down at her daughter and sighted.

So much for avoiding Mystic Fall…

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><p><strong>AN:** Your thoughts on this one? Any ideas of what is coming? :D Comments are more than loved! xoxo ~ Meye

Translation:  
><em><strong> moja miłość<strong> - my love_


	3. 1 Need you now

**Disclaimer:** This story is based on characters and situations from _The Vampire Diaries_ series created by _L. J. Smith_ and developed by _Kevin Williamson/CW Network_. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringements are intended. OCs are all mine, please ask before using them anywhere.

**Beta Reader:** The lovely _OnyxvanGem_

****A/N:**** _Because you've been amazingly patient... 2 Chapters for you as first update! You'll know what the gang has been doing..._

* * *

><p><strong><span>Need you now<span>**

_~ August 22__nd__ 2010 ~_

Alaric watched the petite Vampire lying in the two-person hammock in the Boarding house's backyard. He could only see her left leg hanging out of the hammock, swinging absently. He sighed. A month had passed since Cleatus sacrifice, and everyone had moved on as much as they could; yet Deena still had a hard time doing so. He could understand perfectly how she felt. Everyone had someone to help them through. Oh, Deena did have Athena, but with a newborn son to fill her days with the joys of motherhood and a still blooming romance with Damon, it was hard for the Shape-shifter to share the pain of losing Cleatus on the same level as her friend.

"How long will you stand here until you find the courage to go and talk to her?" asked an annoyed voice close to him.

"Damon, leave me alone." said Alaric, not even bothering to look at the vampire beside him.

"Ric, I'm serious. Listen, we have learned to be around each other; I even consider you my friend. Before, it was only annoying me to see you and Deena playing _cat and mouse_, but now, I'm lost for word. Whatever you want to admit it or not, there is something between the two of you and she needs that from you now. Go, the worst that can happen is that she'll tell you to get lost."

"I didn't know you cared that much. Fine! I'll go. This nice side of you is unsettling me anyway," he said before exiting the house and walked slowly toward Deena.

"So, do I get my reward now?" asked Damon, smirking.

Athena appeared beside him. "I can't believe you succeeded where I've failed for the last two weeks."

"What can I say, my charms are infallible. Now, where is my reward?"

She laughed. "Alaric should have known better by now and that you wouldn't do something like this for no reason."

"Hey! I heard that! I can be… err… nice sometimes. Now, I want my reward!" he said impatiently.

"What do you want?" she asked gently.

"You and me; alone, for a whole day, doing whatever I want to do. And we leave Rain with Stelena!"

"That's it?" She had been expecting so much more than this.

"Athena, you won't be sleeping for 24 hours. I will keep you wide awake!" he answered, doing his sexy eyes trick.

She approached him. "Thank you Damon."

"Deena is important to you. I would have done it without receiving something in exchange. You know that, right?"

"I know. That's why I love you; my dark evil, kinky and big hearted vampire."

"You are destroying my reputation." he replied exasperated.

"Naah!" she said and laughed.

…

Alaric approached slowly and kept silent until he was right beside the hammock.

"Hey Dee."

The petite vampire opened her eyes and looked at him before smiling. "Did you want the place?"

"Not really. Mind if I lay with you?"

She obviously wasn't expecting that response. "Y-Yeah… I mean, no. Well what I mean is you can join me."

When he finally managed to lie inside the hammock, it swung to the side and Deena fell on top of him.

"Sorry…" she said trying to move away.

"It's okay, stay there. I don't mind at all," he whispered back.

They simply lied down; Deena's head was on his chest while he caressed her back gently. No word was uttered and as the sun settled down, they fell asleep. They didn't wake up until the next morning, not even when Athena came to put a blanket on them.

_~ October 9th 2010~_

Months had passed, and so far, only an understanding had come between Deena and Alaric. They brought comfort to each other, but didn't want to be tagged as a couple yet. A lot of Mystic Fall residents thought they were together, but their friends knew better. They were both healing, slowly, but at least, they were making progress; little by little, Alaric was opening his heart to the petite Vampire, while Deena smiles were more frequent and real.

The professor had discovered over time that Dee was all talk outside the bedroom, but was quite shy and old school behind closed doors. Not that she was boring or untalented in bed, far from it, but she was obviously less adventurous or kinky like her best friend Athena. The Shape-shifter wasn't that crazy, but from what Damon had proudly been telling him, she was quite something.

But with Deena, it was special, more than with Isobel or Jenna. It felt weird as a man, to say that he felt cared for when he was with her. He knew about her past just like she knew about his, they kept no secret from each other and it felt good. She had admitted that if it hadn't been for the way she had been transformed back then, she would probably have been a mean and ruthless vampire. But she wasn't and that was what he liked about her. The Salvatore brothers and Caroline had helped him to see Vampires in a different way, but his prejudices had still lingered underneath; but with Deena, he had really stopped seeing them the same way. She had seen so much horror done by humans, werewolves, vampires, witches and warlocks; that he had finally understood that their species, whatever their nature was, didn't make who they were.

All those thoughts were submerging Alaric as he sat in his kitchen, waiting for Deena's arrival. Even though he was now a permanent fixture at the Boarding house, he still had kept his old apartment just in case the need presented itself. He had asked Bonnie a while ago to revoke any invitation that had been made; which had meant Isobel. Not that he didn't trust Isobel, actually, he didn't, but he wanted a house were a locked door would stop anyone, except for his soon to arrive companion. He wanted to share this with Deena, making her understand that he did care about her even though he'd never said it. So, he had prepared dinner for them to enjoy.

He checked again if everything was okay, from the food to his clothes and smiled. He wore a simple black cotton shirt with a dark blue denim pants. Even though Vampires didn't need to eat, Deena was one of those who enjoyed doing it anyway; he knew cooking her something would make her happy. He heard someone knocking at the front door and went to answer.

He opened the door and saw the petite Vampire fumbling with the bottom of her baby pink dress nervously, before snapping her head up to look at him; putting her hands behind her back like a child caught doing something wrong.

"Hi!" she exclaimed happily. She blushed.

"Hey you, come in." he replied showing her the way inside. Her blushing made him smile, but he kept it to himself. He had learned from Athena that Vampires could blush, but only if they had a good amount of blood running through their system.

She looked around as she sat in the living room. It was a cozy and charming place; but what she loved the most about it was that Alaric scent was everywhere.

"So this is the infamous apartment were you build all your weapons? Looks great, good cover-up!" she said, laughing.

He stole a kiss from her lips before going back into the kitchen to fetch two glasses of red wine and came back to sit with her. They drank making small talks about his last days at school and hers spent playing with Rain and lounging around the Boarding house.

…

The food had been great. Alaric had cooked some pesto linguini for appetizer, then a French dish called _Tartiflette_, which Deena had adored and for desert a Tiramisu cake. The petite Vampire had been ecstatic with everything. They had laughed through the three courses and had talked some more about their respective life. Afterward, they had decided to go back in the living room to watch a movie…

As the end credits rolled on the screen, Deena looked up at Alaric who smiled down at her.

"Did you enjoy your evening?" he asked casually.

"Of course I did!" she said hitting him slightly across the chest. "Am I going to enjoy the night too?"

"Only time will tell us," he answered, giving her a playful smile.

He stood and held out his hand to her. Together, they made sure to close everything behind them as they made their way to his bedroom. Once there, he told her to wait as he removed his shoes and socks. He went back to Deena and pushed her gently to make her fall on his bed. She moved toward the headboard, until she was lying in the middle of the bed. He went on all four and crawled up to her and stopped when his hands were next to her shoulders.

He let one of his hand slid down her body, making her shiver in anticipation. He moved down to her feet and slowly removed her shoes, before he caressed each leg up to her hips languorously.

"Alaric…" she moaned.

"Ssh… just enjoy." he replied, pushing her legs apart and pulling up her dress to her waist.

He went back up to her face, pulling her lips into a passionate kiss as he brushed his fingers across the lower part of her belly. He plunged his tongue inside her mouth, enjoying how easily she kept letting him win the small tongues battles each time they kissed. He moved down his hand until it was between her thighs and started to play with her clit over her lace cheeky panties. She rotated her hips against his fingers, begging him with incoherent words for more. He pushed her panties to the side and inserted three fingers inside her while he used his thumb to play again with the sensible bundle of nerves.

She came not long after, his name on her lips. He undressed her; there was something so sinful for both of them about him keeping his clothes on, while she was totally exposed to him. As he lied between her legs, with his left forearm beside her head, he bent down to kiss her again while his free hand fumbled to open his belt and unzipped his pant. He pulled out his cock leaking with precum and caressed it firmly as he groaned into Deena's mouth. He put two pillows under the small of her back and teased her opening with the head of his erection.

Alaric smiled cockily as he saw the petite Vampire fighting against her instincts to let the beast in her emerged. She had a hard time keeping her eyes from turning black as lust and desire swirled around and inside her body driving her crazy. When he finally entered deep inside her core, she threw her head back, her mouth opening in a silent scream. His slow pace was maddening and she begged him to move faster; but he didn't comply, increasing only the strength of his thrusts. He stroked her side with his right hand gently and brought back his thumb to her clit, rubbing and twirling it with his callous finger. The renewed and ruthless caress was too much and Deena came, whispering praises to her human lover.

But Alaric didn't wait for her to come back down from her orgasm and started to pound inside her petite body furiously hitting her g-spot with each push. She screamed as she kept coming again and again under his ministration. When he felt the building inside him becoming too much, he bent down stretching back his legs and put both his forearms beside her head. He laid his forehead against her as he came, spilling his seed inside her quivering walls. He did lazy rotations with his hips until his erection had totally softened, then he just stayed there, loving being inside her. She shivered as he finally pulled out of her gently and they kissed deeply. He removed the pillows and started to kiss and lick her breasts. He loved this moment the most; after they had made love; she was always hypersensitive and anything he did would make her moan almost plaintively. He knew better than to go down on her again, which would make her faint. He had done it often and sometimes he even did it on purpose, but not now.

He had asked her why she had fainted the first time it had happened and she had replied that as they grew older, Vampires became stronger, but also a lot of them became more sensitive, especially the ones leaving their emotions switch on. That sensitivity could be found in any of the six senses. For example, Sapphire sight had increased so much that it had translated in her being able to see people's thoughts, while Deena sixth sense was keener than most Vampires, as she could sense danger faster than anyone else. Athena could feel any shift in the air when it came to people she knew personally and lucky for her that power worked with any of her forms. Both women were very sensible to touch too. She had laughed, saying that Athena had it worse than her.

"Shower?" he suggested, whispering in her ear.

"That would be amazing…" she replied, smiling lovingly at him.

They took a long and hot shower together, before going to another bedroom settling for the night in each other arms…

"Deena?" asked Alaric in the middle of the night.

"Mm?" she said half asleep.

"I'm tired of going around saying to people that we are just fooling around. I would be lying if I said that I didn't care about you and I don't want other men thinking that this thing between us isn't real and that they can make a move on you."

"You're jealous?" she asked seriously, not a single ounce of humour in her voice.

"Yes. So, Deena would you officially go out with me?" he replied and chuckled at his own awkwardness.

"It's about time you ask," she answered playfully.

He knew by the sound of her voice that she was putting a strong façade. He had known for a while now of her feelings for him, but it had taken him a long time to accept them. He still couldn't bring himself to say the L-word, but one day he would.

"Is that a yes?" he said playing with a strand of her hair.

"Of course it is! So, I get to call you my boyfriend?" she exclaimed, smiling up at him.

He looked down at her and nodded, making her giggle like a little girl. This night had been perfect and would be the start of something new for them. He could already hear Damon laughing at him in his head and Caroline going nuts about the news. He hadn't been this happy in a long time, and it felt amazing.

_~ December 24__th__ 2010 ~_

Everyone was doing their best to make sure that everything would be perfect for dinner; the girls worked on the last minutes decoration details as the guys were busy cooking in the kitchen. Tonight, they would all celebrate, minus Lucy, who had declined coming to Mystic Fall for Christmas. The next day, they would separate in two groups. Most of the gang would go to the Lockwood mansion, while Damon, Athena, Rain, Alaric and Deena would stay back at the Boarding house for a quieter Christmas evening. Not only would they be celebrating Christmas, but Rain would also be 5 months old the next day. It was funny how the dynamic of the gang had changed over the last months; most of the time they would split like that, the youngest including Stefan on one side and the oldest including Alaric on the other. Sometimes, the youngest Salvatore would join them, but he would usually follow Elena instead.

Athena made her way down the stairs with Rain, avoiding to be seen by the girls. She knew Caroline and Deena could hear her, but she also knew they were having too much fun to look at her. She went to the kitchen and smiled as she saw the guys working hard.

"Da! Da!" babbled Rain when he saw his father.

Damon stopped mid-track and looked at Athena and his son; he laughed.

"Athena… Really? Oh my Rain, what has your mother put you through? You look ridiculously adorable! Come here Rudolph!" he said holding out his hands to his son who went in them happily.

Rain was dressed up in a baby reindeer sleep sack costume and was definitively in a good mood.

"Put him in front of a mirror and you'll understand how happy he is to wear this costume!" replied the Shape-shifter.

Damon brought his son to the other men and the verdict was unanimous, he looked adorable. All the attention made the baby babbled even more.

…

The dinner had been amazing and had been a lovely moment; especially when Stefan and Damon had made a toast together to thank everyone. It had been touching to see them finally coming to a point in their lives where the rift between them was almost gone. But what had been the most surprising had been Damon acknowledgment to the gang that he was starting to see them has more than simple allies, they were also his friends.

The gift giving had been hilarious, thanks to Rain who had been seduced by the sound of ripping papers going around him and had laughed most of the time until he had finally fell asleep in his reindeer suit. It had been a long time since they had celebrated like that; the last time had been back in July to celebrate the Independence Day. It felt amazing for the whole gang to have fun without any enemies waiting for them around the corner.

Everyone had gone to bed smiling happily and hoping for a better year in 2011. They couldn't wait until the Lockwood New Year Eve's party on the 31st.

Back in their bedroom, Athena and Damon were enjoying themselves. The Shape-shifter was lying on her front while her Vampire mate was kneeling, his legs on each side of her and siting on her thighs without putting his full weight. They were both naked as Damon applied more oil on her back to massage her slowly.

"Mm…" groaned Athena as the Vampire kept his soft caresses. "Feels amazing…"

"I won't be able to continue if you keep making those noises!" said Damon, obviously getting excited.

"It's not… ah, right there… my fault if… oh yes, just like that… you're good at this!" she said as her whole body turned to mush under his touch.

"Athena…" he warned her, stopping his moved midway.

"You promised me a massage… Don't you dare stop now!" she replied, half frustrated half laughing at him.

"This is so unfair!" he said pouting as he kept massaging her.

"Mm…" she moaned.

"You are doing it on purpose, I'm sure of it… That's it young lady!" he said, turning her around and started to tickle her.

"N-No! Damon!" she let out before breaking down into a fit of laughers. "S-Stop it…"

But he didn't and kept making his mate laughed harder. He loved watching her so carefree, as she couldn't contained her tears from falling. He stopped for a few seconds; just enough for Athena to look at him and he smiled sexily at her before starting all over again.

"P-Please Damon… I can't… no more… I'm begging you…" she tried to said.

"Will you stop making those sounds?" he asked as the tips of his fingers kept grazing her sides.

"Y-Yes…" she replied out of breath.

"You promise?" he said his eyebrow rising, not truly believing her.

"I'll try, I promise." she answered truthfully as she tried to catch her breath.

"Mm! Not good enough!"

"N-No!" she exclaimed before she was tickled again.

He suddenly stopped and grabbed both of her hands to hold them above her head with his. "Hello beautiful." he murmured, smiling.

"H-Hey…" she whispered back.

He bent his head down and breathed in her neck. "Fuck, I love you…" He rolled on his back bringing her with him and held her close to him.

They both sighed and didn't say anything else; enjoying the comfortable silence around them.

…

Deena was standing by the window smiling at nothing. Alaric came behind her, encircled her in his arms and gave her a kiss on the shoulder.

"Thank you for the gifts." he said, kissing her again.

"My pleasure and thanks to you too."

"So, what are you smiling at like that? Not that I mind, but I'm quite curious!" he asked.

"I was listening to Athena and Damon…" she replied guiltily.

"Really? Bad girl!" he exclaimed. He kept quiet for a while. "And what was so interesting?"

"Now who's being a bad boy?" she replied laughing. "I kinda feel bad for listening, but I couldn't resist. I've been travelling with her for so long… and with Cleatus gone, it's stupid, but I feel like I need to make sure she's okay once in a while. I know she's happy with Damon, but sometimes it's reassuring to hear her. Like right now, they aren't talking, but just before that, he was tickling her and she is very ticklish, so it made me smile to hear her laughing so freely."

"You should take care of yourself too, don't forget that!"

"I have you for that!" she said, winking at him.

"You do. But anyway…"

"I understand what you want to say," she said calmly. "It's just that… When I met Cleatus and Athena, I was on the verge of going crazy or dying, or even both and I wasn't able to thank Cleatus for that. I just hope that I'll be able to do so for Athena one day. Both have sacrificed so much; Cleatus refused to bring himself to fully love Lucy because he knew that he would probably have to die to kill Klaus and all his life he was focused on his mission and protecting us. As for Athena, she was making sure that her protégé Calix wasn't causing too much trouble; sadly for her, Calix was a delinquent and it got her killed. Athena felt so responsible for her death and neither Cleatus nor I could do anything to help her. It was the same for Damon when she first met him…"

"You just want her to be happy… but she is! You have to stop worrying!"

She turned to him and smiled. "You're right!" She looked behind his shoulder. "Bath is ready?"

"Yes it is! Let's go!"

_~ May 21__st__ 2011 ~_

Today was special. Anyway, it was special for Stefan, Bonnie, Elena and Caroline as it was their Graduation ceremony. It had been quite the adventure for them to arrive at this point and everyone was there to celebrate with them; well everyone but Lucy who had once again declined to come to Mystic Fall. Bonnie had been hurt by her refusal, but she had assumed that the reason had been a good one.

Tyler was there too, but has he had failed certain classes; he would have to go through summer classes to get the required credits to have his diploma. But he was there any way, to celebrate with his friends and family.

They had built a stage on the Timberwolves football field with chairs for the ones in attendance. The graduating students sat in the front row while their family and friends sat behind them. The professors who had taught their year were sitting at the back of the stage in a single row of chairs behind the small podium. Each student wore a black gown with red rims and the school emblem embroidered on the left side above the heart. Their graduation cap was black with a red tassel.

When the school director came forward everyone stopped talking.

"Hello everyone, students, friends and family, I would like to welcome you to the 2011 Mystic Fall Graduation ceremony! I feel privilege to be here today to say a final goodbye to our students. But since my talking would put some of you to sleep, I will let one of my peers take the podium!" he said smiling and the crowd laughed at his joke. "So please give a round of applause for Miss Mystic Fall 2011 and our young French teacher, Miss Odelle St-Amand."

Students clapped hard for one of their favourite teachers and even catcalls could be heard in the crowd.

When the Miss Mystic Fall pageant had come back, Damon had, surprisingly, begged her to enter saying that he wanted to dance the traditional dance with her. And she had entered without really thinking about it. Deena had told her that the sparks between her and Damon had been flying high and all around as they had danced. But the biggest surprised had come in her winning, becoming the new Miss Mystic Fall. To say that her Vampire lover had been ecstatic would have been saying little. Caroline had been happy to share the title with her as she had won the previous year.

Odelle came to the podium, a small blush on her cheek.

"Ladies, gentlemen, as you may already know, I am not one for formalities and shall avoid starting now. For some of you, this year has been the hardest and for others it has been a reprieve from the previous ones." She looked at her friends briefly. "Whatever it is said, you have been amazing, every single one of you. Of course, I encourage you to keep on learning wherever you go; whatever it is College, University or work. Furthermore…"

There was a loud '_Mama_' heard in the crowd and everyone turned to say a happy bouncing Rain on Damon's legs. They all laughed.

"That is a way for my son to tell me '_Go on with it!_' So, it is my honour to call each and one of you to the stage to take that diploma that you all deserve."

As she started to call names, both the director and Alaric stood up to give the graduates their diploma…

…

Carol had gladly lent her house to the school for the Prom party and it had been a very successful one too.

Bonnie, Elena, Caroline and Tyler had decided to take the next school year off. They would wait for Jeremy before going to College, as they didn't want to leave him alone behind. Odelle had also announced at the Graduation celebration that the next year would be her last, as she wanted to take care of her son. She had almost given her resignation for this year, but just like the rest of the gang, she hadn't wanted to leave Jeremy alone at school. Alaric would stay for a few more years until he could finally decide on what to do with his life.

The gang would enjoy themselves for the summer and some of them were already planning to travel by the end of fall.

_~ July 21__st__ 2011~_

As Rain's first anniversary was approaching, Athena became more and more frustrated. The gang wondered why until Bonnie had asked Damon a few days ago.

_[FLASHBACK]_

_Bonnie found Damon sitting at the Mystic Grill's bar. She had discovered that he enjoyed coming here alone to pass time when he wanted to escape everything around him. At first, she had thought it was because he was fighting with Athena, but upon asking the Shape-shifter, she had learned that this was his private moment that he still enjoyed and that she wouldn't stop him as she knew he needed it. But for Damon, it was also a way to keep in touch with what was happening in Mystic Fall._

"_Hey you!" she said has she sat on a stool beside him._

"_Little witch! Why do you disturb me? Is something wrong?" he asked calmly._

"_Yes and no. I actually have a question for you…"_

"_Shoot!"_

"_What's wrong with Odelle?" she asked knowing that she couldn't use the Shape-shifter's real name._

_He laughed. "She is very mad at your cousin."_

"_Lucy?" exclaimed Bonnie. "But why?"_

"_Well you see, my lady invited your cousin to our son's birthday party and she declined. Sadly for her, Odelle heard the lie and got mad at Lucy for trying to deceive her. And your cousin, instead of laying her cards on the table, hung up on her. Let's say that if Lucy doesn't show up to Rain's birthday, I can assure you that she will get a visit from a very mad mommy and that she better have a good reason for missing the party."_

"_Oh! Do you think she refused to come during the Holidays and my graduation for the same reason?"_

"_Odelle believes so. And even though she is mad, she is also very worried for Lucy. Odelle worries too much about everyone else." said Damon, annoyance in the back of his voice._

_[END OF FLASHBACK]_

Today had been a weird day and as night approached, Bonnie, Athena and Deena felt awkward like something big was coming. They couldn't tell if it was good or bad, but one thing was sure it would happen soon.

The whole gang was eating dinner and talking animatedly about their projects for the next summer. They really wanted to go together to Mexico, Hawaii or somewhere with beautiful beaches.

When both the Vampires and Tyler started to complain about the awful smell, Athena stood up and took Rain upstairs to his nursery to change his dirtied dipper. She laughed to herself as she cleaned up her babbling son; having supernatural beings with enhance senses made it impossible to forget to change a baby's dipper.

When Rain was all powdered and dressed up, she went back downstairs to finish eating. As she passed the front door, she felt a shift in the air coming from outside. She raised her eyebrows recognizing the aura. She went to the door and opened it.

She saw Lucy about to knock. They both looked surprised at each other.

"Lucy…" she looked down at her friend's arms and gasped. "A child…"

"Hello Athena." said the witch smiling at the Shape-shifter and her son.

…

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** _Hope you enjoyed the chapter! Please review! xoxo ~ Meye_


	4. 2 Hero

**Disclaimer:** This story is based on characters and situations from _The Vampire Diaries_ series created by _L. J. Smith_ and developed by _Kevin Williamson/CW Network_. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringements are intended. OCs are all mine, please ask before using them anywhere.

**Beta Reader:** The lovely _OnyxvanGem_

**A/N:** _New chapter! :D Enjoy your reading!_

* * *

><p><strong><span>Hero<span>**

"_Hello Athe__na." said the witch, smiling at the Shape-shifter and her son.  
><em>

Athena couldn't move her eyes from the baby girl in Lucy arms.

"_Bébé_!" exclaimed Rain, bringing his mother's attention back to the matter at hands.

"C-Come in!" she said moving aside.

They both jumped lightly when Deena appeared beside them.

"Lucy? What are you doing here?" asked the Vampire taking her friend's luggage, bringing them inside.

"Before you tell everyone I'm here, I'd like to talk with you two." requested Lucy.

"Dee, put her luggage in her bedroom and I'll leave Rain with Damon and briefed the gang about Lucy's arrival." said the Shape-shifter before going back to the dining room where everyone had stopped talking.

"So Lucy is here…" stated Damon taking his son in his arms and placing him back in his highchair. "Most of us heard everything, we will wait." he finished, kissing her forehead.

"Thanks!" she replied, kissing him on the lips and left.

…

The three women sat in Rain's nursery. Lucy silently put her sleeping daughter back in her infant car seat before sitting back comfortably.

"Cleatus is the father isn't he?" asked Athena, her voice trembling.

"Yes…" she confirmed, not looking at the Shape-shifter.

"That's why you didn't want to come back. I understand, but why come back now then?" replied Athena.

"I had no choice. The Sky came to me in a vision and told me to run back here, because something is coming and we couldn't be protected if we weren't here. So… I'm kinda bringing bad news with me."

"So much for the peace we had!" exclaimed Dee, laughing. "But let's put that aside for a moment, how have you been and I mean you have a baby and a very powerful one she is."

"Her name is Deana Bennett; she was born on April 29th. She's a real pearl and she has proud parents too."

"Well she is quite beautiful! What made you choose her name?" she gazed down that the sleeping baby before looking up again. "How have you been dealing with everything?" asked Athena worriedly.

"I'll explain her name another day, but I'm good." she replied a blinding smile on her face. "Cleatus says hi, by the way."

"W-What?" exploded both women.

Lucy laughed at their reaction; she had known the news would make such an impact on them.

"Cleatus is not dead; gone, yes, but not dead. He is guarding Klaus, who isn't dead either, up in the Centaurus constellation. It's a long story for another time. The important thing is that Cleatus was able with the Sky permission and under strict restrictions to visit me in my dreams. And he's able to do the same for Deana. It's not the life I've wanted with him, but I'm at peace with it now." She was startled when she realized that Athena and Deena were crying silently. "Hey don't cry!"

"I'm just so happy!" said Dee through her tears. "I was so sad for you, then I saw your daughter and I was heartbroken because you would have to raise her without him and… I'm so grateful that he can be there for you two and that he's alive somewhere up there…"

The Shape-shifter nodded her approval the whole time Deena was speaking. In the end, the three of them were in tears and laughing lightly.

"How about you girls?" asked Lucy. "What did I miss?"

"We have with us the wannabe future Miss Saltzman!" exclaimed Athena pointing at the Vampire.

"Don't call me that!" whined Dee before smiling brightly. "Alaric is officially MY professor!"

"Good for you!" replied Lucy excited about the good news. "And you?" she asked to Athena.

"I'm the luckiest girl in the world; a healthy son and the man of my dreams. Couldn't be happier… well, I could if it wasn't for something apparently coming our way… What is coming Lucy? This seems serious, especially for the Sky to intervene…"

"We should sit with everyone." suggested Lucy as she stood up.

"For Deana, you can use Rain's old Moses. I also have a rocking basket stand for it. We could install it in your room?" said Athena.

"Thanks that would be lovely."

…

Lucy had shown her daughter to everyone before putting her to bed. They had left her some time to place her stuff around the bedroom and made sure that she was comfortable. Damon had also put his son to bed not too long ago. While Lucy had been back upstairs, Athena had explained the situation about Deana and Cleatus; she knew Lucy wouldn't be at ease to repeat her tale.

With their baby monitors not too far from the parents; the whole gang was now sitting in the living room knowing that Lucy's arrival didn't necessarily meant good news.

"Let's face it, I don't bring good news. The Sky sent me a vision; something very bad is coming, but I have no idea what it is. I'll try and see with Cleatus next time I see him." said Lucy.

"That would be very helpful! Thanks Lucy." replied Stefan.

"Don't thank me so fast… Cleatus seer powers are bound. He had to choose between this or seeing me; so he cannot foretell what is about to happen. But he knows that this will be big; when he chose to sacrifice himself, the Sky graced him with visions from the past, present and future. Whatever is coming we will have to brace ourselves…" she looked down at her hands unable to speak.

"What is it?" asked Tyler.

"I-I can't…"

Athena shifted into Sapphire for a few seconds, just long enough to see what she was hiding. She was wide-eyed once she changed back. "There are high probabilities that some of us won't make it to see the end of it…" she murmured.

"Oh my god…" whispered a troubled Elena. "What are we going to do?"

"Fight!" replied Bonnie with conviction. "And hope that we will all make it through…"

"So, we don't know when it's going to start, only that it will happen here?" asked Damon.

"There is no imminent danger yet." confirmed Deena. "Will Cleatus or the Sky warned us or will we just be hit in the face out of nowhere?"

"The Sky already intervened once by telling Lucy about the upcoming danger." answered Athena. "Which means, that we are being given time to prepare as best as we can. I just hope it isn't about Klaus, because if he gets one tiny chance, he will take his revenge on us."

"We don't need to worry about that. Cleatus explained to me that the only way to get Klaus out of his prison would be to summon him down to Earth and have all of us at the Centaurus meadow. They need all of us to break the spell and the cage Klaus is in. And even if one of us dies, as long as someone is up there with Klaus, they cannot do anything about it. Furthermore, Cleatus is very powerful, so to summon him is almost impossible." reassured Lucy to the gang. "And if that wasn't enough, the only ones who know how to break the spell are Cleatus and the Sky. Cleatus is not even sure himself how it would work the other way around."

"So, we train and find new spells or weapons? That's it?" exclaimed Jeremy disbelieving their situation.

"Yes." said Deena seriously, a scowl on her face.

"Well we better make Rain's birthday the best ever considering the crap that we will have to live with soon!" said Damon annoyed by his happiness being interrupted.

The remark was enough to break the tension and made them all smile. But deep down inside, the seed of fear had been planted… Klaus had been a relatively known enemy and Cleatus, Deena and Athena had been amazing allies in their fight, but now, they would have to go into this new darkness blindly…

_~ July 25__th__ 2011 ~_

The day had been quite eventful for the one-year-old toddler. Athena had made sure to cook him his own mini cake knowing that it would be matter of seconds for it to be destroyed and she had been right; as all the adults laughed at a happy Rain splashing his hands around his cake.

"He is beautiful," said Lucy to Athena and Damon sitting beside her.

"Thanks Lucy." replied Athena smiling at her.

For the occasion, Stefan had bought his nephew a mini table and four chairs to go with it. Rain had been placed at his new gift with the adults regroups around him sitting in chairs.

Rain took a tiny piece of cake, stood up and walked happily to Lucy who had a wide-awake Deana sitting on her knees.

"For Yana!" said the young child as he held out the piece of cake to Lucy.

"Thank you Rain!" she said taking the cake from his sticky hands. She was happy when he turned around and missed the witch putting the piece in her mouth instead.

…

After playing with Rain in the backyard for the rest of the afternoon, the whole gang had come back inside hoping to have a small break from the very excited child. He had been ecstatic to have so many friends to play with him. Luckily for them, it was time for him to take a nap.

The girls had cooked lasagnes for everyone. When it had been about time to eat, Damon had woken up Rain and brought him downstairs. His daddy had cooked him a special meal, as he couldn't eat the spicy lasagnes.

Finally, after a fruity desert had been served and ate, the gang had moved to the living room for the best part, gifts giving. Rain still found hilarious the sound of ripping papers, but had found a new game that had the rest of the gang cracking up. When given a gift by someone, he would keep what was inside, but give everything back to the person who had given him the item; box and wrapping paper included.

The ladies found it adorable to see him trying to share. But the cutest moment had been when Lucy had given a gift to Rain saying that it was from Deana. The toddler had given a gentle hug to the baby girl and gave her a kiss on the cheek. Damon had proudly said that his son was definitively a charmer like his dad, but Athena had counteracted saying that her boy was not a womanizer.

…

Rain had been sleeping in his father's arms for the last hour when he finally stood up and went to his son nursery to put him to bed. It had been a perfect day for his son and he knew Athena was happy with the way the day had gone by. Damon also knew that he would miss those moments when their fight would start and he hated it. After Centaurus, he had just hoped for a peaceful life, but apparently it would yet be the case…

_~ September 1__st__ 2011 ~_

_Lucy opened her eyes and found herself in the middle of the Centaurus meadow. She had the reflex to look down at her clothes and smiled when she saw a simple yellow sleeveless sundress; meaning that she wasn't in a nightmare. Though, she lost her smile when she remembered what it meant to 'wake up' here; Cleatus had serious matters to discuss with her._

"_Witam moja miłość__." said Cleatus appearing behind her._

"_Hey…" she whispered as she turned to him and went in his open arms._

"_How have you been?" he asked caressing her cheek gently before putting a stray lock behind her ear._

"_As good as I can be considering that something dangerous is on its way. But I must admit that it felt good to be back here with our friends. Oh! I bought the house right beside Athena's. I asked Zeus to help me put up the wards. It just felt too crowd at the Boarding house. And I know that Athena stays at her house with Damon and Rain from time to time. And don't worry I'm very careful."_

"_I told you that you should have come back earlier. I'm very happy for the house; though now I'm curious about it," he replied and the world around them shifted until they were in her new house. She gave him a small tour. "So did Athena make your ears bleed?" he replied laughing._

"_I think the shock of seeing me with a baby was enough for her to forgive me. I got lucky I guess. Rain and Deana are hilarious together; he calls her Yana. At first, I thought it was because he was having a hard time with D's, but no it's apparently her nickname!"_

_They both laughed._

"_He is a very smart child that one. I cannot imagine all the troubles he will cause later, but that angelic face of his will probably get him out of most problems anyway." he said smiling to himself._

"_And you?" she asked, letting her hand slide up and down his arm slowly. "How are you?"_

"_Bored… But I'm learning a lot up there so I can't really complain. I've been studying Demons, quite the interesting subject. It's impressive the amount of different types of Demons there is. But let's not talk about that, I wouldn't want to bore you too!" He winked at her, smiling devilishly._

"_So…" she started and sighed. "It's coming soon, isn't it?" she asked discouraged._

"_It is. I'm sorry…" he replied pulling her into his embrace._

"_Can you tell me anything that could help?" she urged him._

"_I don't have any more vision, but I can still feel the things around me. I'm still connected somehow like I was back on Earth. What is coming Lucy will be earth shattering… I am terrified for you and our child. And when it starts, I will have to watch from up here unable to say anything. I don't want to give you false hope and make you act rashly, but the Sky promised me that you would both be safe…"_

"_It's okay, it's okay, I understand. Please don't feel guilty for this; you are doing your best to help us. You have to remember that even though you are probably the strongest Druid still alive, you can't control the wheels of time." She brought his head to hers and kissed him. "I promise Cleatus, I will be careful. Safe means alive, but it doesn't mean out of harms…" she whispered against his lips._

"_Okay…" he murmured back. "Let's not think about this anymore and enjoy ourselves…"_

"_I'd like that." she said as he took her hand and they were transported to the golden wheat field where their immense king side bed was waiting for them._

_They spent the night together, lost in their love and passion and not long before she would wake up; Cleatus visited his daughter who babbled happily at seeing her father._

…

The next morning, Lucy woke up with a deep sigh. She texted Deena and Athena and told them to meet her at her house in the afternoon. She hated being the one to always bring the bad news. She was starting to think that she had a curse on her when it came to Mystic Fall. Not once had she come here for a good reason. She tried to stay positive; she had seen Cleatus and both father and daughter had been ecstatic to see each other. That adorable reunion had simply melted her heart.

Athena was shifted as Odelle; her main form and the only one the people of Mystic Fall knew about. She wasn't surprised to see both girls with their lovers tagging along. She knew they wouldn't have been able to hide something that big from them, but in some ways, she was glad to see them there too. She had been quick to see the dynamic in the group and whether she wanted it or not, she was part of the 'old ones'. She tried to imagine Cleatus with the younger ones… she laughed to herself.

Damon had placed a sleeping Rain with Deana and had come back downstairs to sit with them at the kitchen table. They all gazed at the witch waiting for her to talk; she looked miserable.

"That bad, hun?" exclaimed Damon. "How soon until the apocalypse comes crashing down on us?"

"Soon, but Cleatus didn't know when specifically. And he has confirmed that he wouldn't be much help when it would start." answered the witch.

"How bad Lucy?" pressed Alaric.

"Very, very bad; Cleatus said it would be terrible. I'm sure both Dee and Athena can feel it in the air, the tension is almost palpable…" she replied.

"This is nerve racking!" said a frustrated Deena, hitting the table lightly. "We don't even know what we will have to face; how the hell how we supposed to prepare ourselves properly? At least with Klaus, we knew how he thought, and we were always a step ahead of him; though, that was thanks to Cleatus… We are so screwed!"

"Okay _Strawberry Shortcake_, this is not the time to have a panic attack!" snapped Damon at her. Deena gave him the finger. "Let's be honest; the worst that could happen is for all of us to die and it won't happen. So we can check this out of our list. After that, it would be to have Klaus released and the only way for that to happen is if someone tells the truth about what happened last year to the wrong person. So do we all agree that no matter what, we cannot, under any circumstance, reveal how we got rid of Klaus?"

They all nodded.

"After that, let's face it, only the strongest will fight," continued Damon. "It would be careless and stupid of us to let the weakest links fight first, but we also have to remember that we cannot all fight. Ric, I know you're going to be mad at me for saying this, but my suggestion would be to leave you in charge of the youngest when we fight."

"You know I can fight!" interjected Alaric.

"But you are still human." replied Lucy. "But above everything you are technically the oldest; I'd say we leave a witch and at least one Vampire behind each time we go for a fight."

"This is crazy!" said Alaric getting frustrated. "I cannot accept letting you guys taking all the risk each time there is a fight…"

"Hey…" said Dee calmly turning his face to her. "I know that you are a great hunter, but I want you safe. Athena is at herself a one-man army and we both have very keen senses, Damon is used to wars and Lucy is the strongest witch and I can vouch for her when I say she has seen a lot."

"Fine…" he sighed. "We should make sure to protect our allies too then. If you weren't safe back in Canada that means Emrick isn't safe either. He's an amazing historian and could be very helpful to us."

Deena and Odelle looked at each other at the same time. "Slater!" they exclaimed together.

"Who?" asked the others around the table.

"Slater." said Odelle. "He is, first, a Vampire, but also a super genius geek. He's the kind of guy that could give Isobel a run for her money. We have to find him and make sure he is well protected. He and Emrick will be our strongest allies when it comes to information. Slater knows Sapphire and he will trust her."

...

They had spent the rest of that day planning as much as they could.

Three days later, in a city outside and quite far from Mystic Fall, Lucy, Alaric and Sapphire had met Slater and Emrick. Zeus had created strong protective charms that they would have to wear at all times. They had agreed to be hidden in a safe house of their choice. They were actually quite glad to help them especially after learning that they could have both been killed for their knowledge.

But still, they had been careful when meeting the two men, as they couldn't be sure if they hadn't already been corrupted. Sapphire had spied on them from a safe distance and read their minds, making sure it was safe before going in with Lucy and Alaric.

One problem was solved; they couldn't do more for now, so they waited.

_~ October 12__th__ 2011 ~_

So far, nothing remotely suspicious had happened, but it didn't mean anything to the gang; their guards were all up.

Tonight was the full moon. Tyler would spend it with Caroline, Damon and Loup. The young werewolf had eaten like ten hungry men the whole day and was now ready for the change. In those tiny moments, he wished he could have shared this joy with Mason. He could still remember finding in his young uncle stuff the video of his first transformation; he had been terrified and would never be able to thank Caroline enough for risking her life like she had to help him. But sadly, Mason had been playing on the wrong team.

He had been so angry at first at Caroline, but he had known back then that for her to sit with him and telling him about Mason had taken a lot out of her. And she had brought back up with her in Jeremy, Bonnie and Elena. They had decided, against the Salvatore brothers, to explain him what was really going on; from the Founder Council, to Katherine, the Salvatore, Vicky, the fire that had killed his father, the witches and Vampires coming and going in Mystic Fall and finally, the reason why Mason had been killed.

It had taken him two weeks to finally accept everything; Jeremy had surprisingly been of great help. He had gone through so much. Sharing this had strengthened and solidified for good their once rocky friendship.

He couldn't imagine all those werewolves suffering around the world because they didn't have the chance to meet someone like Athena. His first transformation had been so painful and yet the first under her guidance had quite bearable. Now though, changing felt like he was pinched for a second and that was it. The rage was still there, but he had learned to control it around his friends, once again with Loup's help. It was a weird feeling to be a wolf, especially when he was with Loup as his mind was almost fully his. He had only two words to describe his wolf, cute and lethal. He felt like a kid during the full moon; it felt good. There was nothing, but the want to have fun in his mind…

"Earth to Tyler!" said Caroline moving her hand in front of her boyfriend's face.

He jumped lightly and looked at her. "Sorry, I was thinking…" he replied sheepishly.

"That's a dangerous thing for you to do Lockwood," said a smirking Damon, coming down the stairs at the Boarding house. Athena hit him lightly on the arm, but still smiled at him.

"So, are we ready to go?" she asked, shifting into Sapphire.

"Aye, aye," replied Tyler laughing.

They went outside and took off to the Centaurus meadow. They had stopped trying to race, as it would always come to the same result; Sapphire first, Damon second, Caroline third followed very closely by Tyler. Sometimes, Athena wouldn't shift and upped on Damon's back, as she always loved the ride.

It took about ten minutes when they had gotten there for him to change into a wolf.

Loup licked the top of his head to show how proud she was of another successful transformation. He ran to Caroline and she petted him behind the ears, which started what she called _'The petting time'_, and it went on for a good thirty minutes.

Afterward, Loup took over; she took her time instructing Tyler how to do certain things and of course they ran and played around.

Damon and Caroline smiled as they looked at their mutual life partner. The blonde Vampire turned her head to the man standing beside her.

"Can I ask a personal question?"

"I'm not sure I feel like sharing anything else than what we have already shared." replied Damon not even looking at her and sounding a little bit irritated.

"I'm serious!" said Caroline offended.

Damon sighed and looked at her. "Fine, ask!"

"Just so you know, I would have gladly asked my question to someone else, but I can't! You are the only one who can understand this…"

That last sentence picked at Damon's curiosity and he gave the young Vampire his full attention.

"After the full moon, is it normal that Tyler, even though he is tired, will wake up a few hours after changing back and be… errr…"

"In heat?" finished Damon for her, seemingly unfazed by the subject.

"Yes." she confirmed uncomfortable.

"Most werewolves, from what Athena has told me, will totally blackout until the next day. This is due to their painful transformation, which takes a lot out of their human side. As for werewolves like Tyler, it isn't the same since the change happens without any pain. Being a wolf pushes their animal instinct to the maximum, the excitement and exhilaration of the freedom they get during the full moon result in pushing their libido to skyrocket. It's hard to explain… You should really just ask Athena. She's better at explaining that kind of stuff."

"In simple words, having fun as a wolf makes him hot?" said Caroline trying to fully understand what the other Vampire had told her.

"Well Blondie, I couldn't have said it any simpler than that! Congrats!" he replied with false enthusiasm.

"You're an ass, Damon!"

"Don't care… my lady loves me the way I am!" he replied a huge cocky smile on his face.

Later on, they had run with the two wolves until Tyler had changed to himself and they had gone back to the Boarding; both Caroline and Damon knowing they would be spending a great night…

_~ The next morning ~_

The day was beautiful; all sunny and warm. It was surprising to get such a great temperature at this time of the year; but no one would have been heard complaining about it. Well there was one person who wanted to complain; Rosalita, the Lockwood housekeeper, who was scheduled to work on such an amazing day.

She sang along the tune on the radio as she drove in her small car toward the Mansion.

Once there, she parked near Carol's car, but not too close to block the way out of the driveway. She pulled out her keys for the Mansion and went to the door. It was already unlocked; which meant Carol was already awake. She went it.

"Hi Mrs. Lockwood!" she said loudly, her Hispanic accent showing with each syllables she uttered. No answer. "Must be in her office…" she murmured to herself nonchalantly.

She went to her small room upstairs and changed into her work gear. She went back downstairs; and took her trolley out of the cleaning closet. She started by the kitchen, which she hated the most. As she came in, she saw that Carol hadn't finished her dinner the previous night and had left it on the small round bistro table. She took it and put it with the rest of the dishes.

When she was done washing everything, she mopped the floor before going on her other tasks. She took a peek outside to make sure that the gardener had done his job properly. He was newly hired and she had been spying on his work for the last two weeks. If she was honest with herself, she was mostly hoping to get a good glance at him; as he was quite the gorgeous specimen. She laughed lowly and made a note to herself to arrive earlier on her next shift.

As she passed in the hallway to the main living room; she spotted that the collection of framed pictures on one of the focus tables were out of place. One of them was lying face down and as she took it to pull it back up; she cut herself on the broken glass beneath it.

"_¡Coño!_" she swore before putting her injured finger in her mouth, sucking on the few drops of blood.

Rosalita raised her eyebrow when she realised that the picture was actually missing. She gazed around at the other photos trying to remember which one was gone. Then she had a flash; it was the picture with the three Lockwood men; M. Lockwood, his younger brother and his son.

"Mrs. Lockwood?" she called out again louder than the previous time. She was getting nervous and couldn't understand why.

She went to Carol's office, but it was empty. She was starting to freak out. As she passed in front of the closed doors to the main living room, she heard a squishing sound from underneath her shoes. She looked down and saw a huge dark stain on the hallway carpet. Her eyes followed the origin of the mess and saw that it was coming from the inside of the living room.

With trembling hands, Rosalita opened both doors and was assailed with one of the most awful scent she had ever smelled. She looked around and saw red; everywhere; blood, so much blood.

Fear shook her whole body, but she kept moving forward, walking in the pool of blood. She came to an abrupt stop when she was able to see in front of the loveseat.

She brought one shaking hand to her mouth in total disbelief and then, she screamed her heart out.

As she tried to walk back, she lost her footing on the slippery floor and fell, horrified, right into the crimson liquid. She stood back up in mere seconds as she cried murder and ran to the first phone and called Sheriff Forbes.

She left behind her a gruesome scene, revealing hands, forearms, legs, feet and so many pieces of a human body, bathing in the blood of a dismembered Carol Lockwood; her head lying alone not too far from her upper body with a frozen terrified look marring her disfigured face…

…

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** Did anyone see my Goonies joke in the Chapter? XD I couldn't resist! So, what do you think so far? Till next update! xoxo ~Meye

Translation:  
><strong><em>Bébé<em>** - Baby  
><em><strong>Witam moja miłość<strong> - _Hello my love  
><em><strong>¡Coño<strong> - _Shit


	5. 3 Maneater

**Disclaimer:** This story is based on characters and situations from _The Vampire Diaries_ series created by _L. J. Smith_ and developed by _Kevin Williamson/CW Network_. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringements are intended. OCs are all mine, please ask before using them anywhere.

**Beta Reader:** The lovely _OnyxvanGem_

****A/N:**** _New chapter! Hope you'll enjoy it! xoxo_

* * *

><p><strong><span>Maneater<span>**

_~ October 15__th__ 2011 ~_

In about an hour, his mother would go down into the earth. He still couldn't believe it; his mother dead. She had been found two days ago dismembered in the Mansion living room. They had refused to let him see her, but Damon; being part of the Council, had seen the scene. Athena had been there, shifted has air. They had come back horrified by the cruelty of the crime. He hadn't wanted them to lie to him and they had been honest; his mother had suffered tremendously before she had been decapitated. Their only hope had been that she had fainted before the end. She had been found in fourteen pieces; there had apparently been so much blood, some police officers had been unable to stay more than five minutes inside the room.

Upon their return to the Boarding house, they had also confirmed one thing; it was either a vicious Vampire attack or more possibly; a Werewolf one. This wasn't good news; it meant the beginning…

People kept coming to him; saying how sorry they were; how his mother had been such a great woman, how unfair it was for him to lose both his father and his mother in a matter of two years. But he didn't care; what matter was the urn; so beautiful, yet so ugly. How could such a small thing, contained everything that had been his mother? He couldn't look away; couldn't look at anything else than the urn and his mother's picture standing beside it.

Time passed and he felt a hand at the small of his back. It brought him back to the present hand he looked to the side at the owner of said hand; Odelle.

"It's time," she said simply, knowing he would understand what she meant.

…

He hadn't been able to talk about his mother, but Liz and Damon had been very kind to the late Mrs. Lockwood. Most of the people who had been present at the funeral were now in his house. Most of them were here for the gossips, some of them had really known her, but the others didn't even care about his mother.

"S-Sorry?" asked a female voice from being him.

He turned and saw a woman in her mid-twenties, maybe less with a surfer build, face all serious.

"Yeah?" replied Tyler.

"You must be Tyler; I'm Jules, nice to finally meet you." she said extending her hand to him.

"Do I know you?" he asked, shaking the offered hand.

"No. I'm a friend of Mason, but I don't think this would be an appropriated time to talk about him. I just wanted to pay my respects to your family and give you my condolences." she finished and turned away, leaving.

That had been weird and he had the strangest feeling about this woman. Whatever his feelings, one thing was sure, he would have to tell the gang about this meeting. They didn't know what the danger was; and by now, they had learned to trust their instincts.

…

The discussion at the Boarding house had been a quick affair, but the news had been traumatizing for him. On her way out, Jules had bumped into Lucy who had felt the other woman energy; she was a werewolf. Tyler had to know if this was pure coincidence or if she had been responsible for his mother's death. Whatever it was, he would go at the bottom of it.

That night, he had cried silently in the arms of his girlfriend. He had fallen asleep, tears still pouring down his cheeks. And nightmares kept invading his dreams and he woke up screaming quite a few times; but Caroline kept quiet, but for the reassuring words she told him as she comforted him…

_~ October 18__th__ 2011 ~_

Tyler sat at an isolated table at The Grill; he was still trying to process the fact that he was now an orphan. His parents had never been great, but where he had detested his father, he had loved his mother's kindness even though she had never been that present in his life; always more concerned about keeping up appearances than his wellbeing.

He was waiting for Athena; she apparently wanted to talk to him. The front door opened and he lifted his head to see the woman who had come to him at the Funeral; she had introduced herself as Jules; a friend of Mason, talk about trouble. She was with a man who looked a little bit older than her and quite meaner too. They came toward him and he cringed inwardly; he knew they meant bad news and he hoped for their sake that they had nothing to do with his mother's death, or he would kill them fair and square.

"Tyler, hi." said Jules, smiling at him. "Can we sit with you for a few moments?"

"Not like I really have a say in it." replied the younger werewolf sarcastically.

"We are not your enemies Tyler," said the man.

"That still needs to be proven. Until then, I'll trust myself not to trust you," snapped Tyler back at the man.

"Chill out man! I'm Brady by the way. We just wanted to ask you a few questions about Mason." said Brady calmly, holding his hand out to Tyler.

"Okay, listen up here; my mother just died and you think I want to talk about this? I don't have to answer any of your questions. I'm out of here!" he said trying to get up, but sit back down when Brady grabbed his forearm and forced him back in the booth.

"Where's Mason?" asked Brady, his voice low and dangerous.

"I don't know. He left town I guess, I'm not his dad." replied Tyler fully annoyed by the duo.

"Funny, because this town is filled with filthy Vampires and Mason simply vanished. You know more than you are telling us. What happened to Mason?" pressed on Jules.

Tyler could feel the rage emanating from them; it was obviously alpha vibes and he could feel his hands starting to sweat. He could use any distraction right now. That's when he smelled it; his Alpha a few feet from them, coming their way; a deep scowl on her face. There was one thing he was very happy about; being Rain's favourite person after his parents; this meant that Athena didn't like anyone messing around with him and her female alpha instincts were quite motherly when it came to him. He was in a way one of her pups. He hated the concept, because Damon used the word too often around him just to irk him.

"Tyler, hey, is everything okay?" asked his former teacher.

"Sorry lady, but this is a private conversation!" said Brady at the newcomer, glaring at her.

"Really?" replied Odelle, clearly unimpressed by the werewolf. "Well look at that… I don't care!"

Brady stood up and got too close for anyone's comfort to the woman challenging him. Jules was impressed by the woman's courage, but at the same time, she didn't like what was happening. Brady never had problems before making a woman back down, but this teacher, what was her name again, she couldn't remember; she seemed totally unfazed by him. Tyler had even looked relieved to see her; what kind of relation did he have with the girl.

"Care to repeat that again little bitch?" growled Brady in a low voice.

"Of course!" she replied smirking and looking up at him. "Fuck off!"

Brady snarled showing his teeth and held her wrist hard enough for her to show pain on her face. But it was only for a few seconds, as Brady's hand was yanked off aggressively and he had to contain a painful moan when more pressure was apply to his hand, almost breaking the bones in it. They all turned and saw a very angry Damon. His eyes were still blue, but it was obvious that he was having problems controlling himself; he was using all his might to stay intact.

"Get your filthy hands off of her!" he snarled at the older werewolf. "Put one more finger on her and I will show you the true meaning of pain." No one would hurt his mate and get away with it and Damon made a promise to himself; if it came down to killing those two, the male was his to kill.

"Brady, let's go!" suggested Jules.

"You don't know who you're dealing with!" replied Brady to Damon.

"You think? You're reeking, dog, and I don't see any full moon outside, which means that I could crush you like a flea in a matter of seconds. Don't try me." spat back the Vampire at him.

"Wait a minute…" said Jules in shock, she turned to both Tyler and the woman. "You know?"

"Of course I do." answered Tyler, but Odelle kept quiet.

"Brady lets go, now! Obviously, this one is a traitor to our pack."

"He already has one you imbecile!" snapped Odelle, getting angry. "And traitor you say? Your little Mason was sleeping with the enemy; remember Katherine?"

"He would never…" started Jules.

"Oh but he did!" confirmed Damon. "Now get out before I lose my patience."

"This isn't over!" said Brady looking at Tyler menacingly.

Odelle got in the older werewolf's face. "I said it before and I'll say it again; fuck off!"

Jules pulled Brady toward the exit. She knew they wouldn't win this one. But she had enough time to see one thing before leaving, Tyler smiling at the woman, thanking her. And the woman embracing him like a mother. She needed to have a discussion with this 'fearless' woman. By Jules book, anyone overconfident always knew more than they let shown.

"Obviously, those two aren't future allies…" said Odelle, looking outside the Grills at the two leaving werewolves. "I don't like them and I'm pretty sure they had something to do with your mom."

"You think?" asked Tyler shaking from fear and rage.

"Too many coincidences and there was no force entry at the Mansion, which means whoever it was, your mom had let them in, or they found an open door or window. I will do anything I can to find if they were responsible Tyler, I promise." replied Odelle caressing his hair gently.

Tyler nodded, feeling reassured by her promise. They sat back and ordered food. They kept it to small talks, but the young werewolf knew that Athena was just letting him cool down before talking about more serious matter.

"So, what did you want to talk about?" said Tyler taking a bite from his steak.

"I know it's a delicate subject after what happened, but I needed your approval so that we could prepare…" started Odelle, but seemed unable to finish her sentence.

"About?" he saw Odelle's discomfort and understood. "Aw! Full moon… What about it?"

"I'd like to bring Rain with us the next time you change." answered Odelle, smiling brightly.

"W-What? You can't be serious!" He turned to Damon. "And you're okay with that?"

"Surprisingly, yes. We've talked a long time about it and we both think that it will be good for him to be there with you two. I'll be there too, just in case. You already know you're not my favourite person, but obviously Rain adores you and I trust you not to hurt him. Tyler, you are finally able to control yourself around the whole gang when Loup is with you and above that, you can stay calm with me when we're alone and you are affectionate with Caroline and recognize her as your mate even in wolf form. So, as much as I hate to admit it, you've improved a lot over the last year. Give yourself some credits pup." finished Damon, smirking.

Tyler groaned; the Vampire had a way to give you the most beautiful speech and ruining it in a second. He hated being called pup, especially by Damon. But it still made him smile.

"So, next full moon with Rain?" He thought about it and grinned. "We will have a blast! It will be the first time he sees me like that."

"Yes, but he knows what you are, I assure you. Anyway, there isn't any real danger, except that it will be quite late for him. But he will be so excited about it. Furthermore, as long as I stay in wolf form, he will copy me."

"Well, this will be great for sure. I can't wait!" replied Tyler excitedly.

Once they were done with their foods, Damon paid for the three of them and they exited the Grill. When they were about to go their separate ways, Tyler came back to them and held Odelle tightly in his arms and surprisingly did the same to Damon who patted his back awkwardly. He stood back and smiled at the couple. He laughed when he saw the Vampire looking out of place and borderline annoyed by his display of affection.

"Thank you guys, a lot! I mean it," said Tyler sincerely to them. "Damon, I know you don't like me, but I do appreciate the efforts you're making for me. And you Odelle, you've just been amazing since I've met you. I know it sounds cheesy, but you are the closest thing I've had to a caring and present mom." He took a deep breath trying to calm his fast beating heart and stopping the tears from coming to his eyes. "I will never forget my mom and the pain will take time to go away, but knowing that you will be there along the way with Caroline and my friends helps to ease the hurt. So thank you, so much."

Odelle pulled him back in her arms and sniffed a few times as she shed tears. They pulled back and smiled at each other.

"Take care Tyler, we'll see you tonight, right?" said Odelle.

"Of course! I might stop at the Mansion before though, but I'll sure be there. I don't like the feeling I get there, so I'll probably move fully to the Boarding house. See you later guys!"

He went to his car, jumped in and left. Damon turned to his mate and caressed her cheeks with both hands and wiped her tears away with his thumbs. He kissed her hotly, taking his time to enjoy her taste; he would never get tired of it. They upped in the Vampire's car and went back to the Boarding house.

_~ October 20__th__ 2011 ~_

Jules made her way through the school. She had been coming at nights for the last two days in hope of finding anything compromising against the 'fearless' woman a.k.a. Odelle St-Amand or Alaric Saltzman, but she hadn't found anything except that the female had a young kid and that both humans were dating Vampires. Class was done, most students were already out, and so she went to the French teacher's classroom. When she got there, the door was opened and said teacher was looking at something outside. She went in and closed the door behind her. Odelle didn't move from her spot.

"We were wondering when you would finally have the guts to come to one of us." said Odelle calmly, turning to the werewolf. Jules seemed surprised for a moment. "Don't act so shock. Did you really think your little visits would go unnoticed? If so, I'm quite disappointed in your spying skills. Damon detected your scent as soon as he set foot in my office."

"I want information and you will tell me what I want to know!" snarled Jules at her. She had no more patience for this pathetic human.

Odelle smiled at her and sat on the corner of her desk. "Let me be clear Jules, if your Alpha male didn't impress me, what makes you think that you will?" She held her hand up stopping Jules before she could say anything. "I'm talking. I will gladly give you some information, but the rest, you can forget about it. About Mason, let's face it; he's dead and Tyler knows it; no point in delaying the news that you already suspected. Though, I don't know where he is. As for him and Katherine, yes, he was working with her and apparently he thought she reciprocated his feelings. What an imbecile if you ask me. But she was obviously playing with him and he died in the end. Katherine is dead too."

"Why should I believe you?" challenged Jules.

"Because you are not stupid Jules; you could smell the lie from me if it was the case, but you know I'm not. Now, did you have anything to do with Tyler's mom death?"

"You are the one answering questions, not me!"

"I see. _Qui ne dit mot consent_." she said, smiling to herself.

"What did you said?"

"Basically, that your refusal to talk makes you guilty by association." She looked at the she-wolf; when she saw that she wasn't trying to defend herself, she knew. "So, since you've managed to stay polite, I'll return the favour. Leave Mystic Falls, Jules, you and your pack or we will destroy you all. This is the only warning you will get from any of us, Tyler is already on a crusade to avenge his mother and I will not stop him. But since I don't want him to become a murderer; I'm leaving you this one chance to get away."

She was bashed against the blackboard and almost lost consciousness from the hard blow. She opened her eyes and saw Jules baring her teeth at her with one hand around her throat.

"I don't take to treats lightly! Whatever Mason did, we will avenge his death!" growled loudly the werewolf at her.

"How dare you?" snapped Odelle at her, grabbing Jules wrist.

Jules saw a flicker in the woman's eyes; it was short, and she wasn't able to identify it, but it was enough to raise the hairs on the back of her neck.

"Hey Odelle, are you… What are you doing here?" asked Alaric looking at the two women.

Jules let go of the French professor and left the classroom in a hurry. She got into her car with only one feeling lingering inside her; danger. But one thing was sure she wouldn't back down and would find leverage against them.

Back in the class, Odelle was placing back her clothes.

"What was that bout?" demanded the History teacher almost freaking out.

"Alpha conversation; and you know what? You saved her life. I was about to shift and snap her neck. One thing is sure; she and her pack had something to do with Mrs. Lockwood's death."

"Are you going to tell Tyler?"

"Yes…"

…

Damon made his way to the Founders Council hideout. Last night, Athena had come back reeking of Jules and he had been too close to lose control in front of his son. He had been so enraged that a bag of fleas had dared to threaten his mate. But the worst they had learned was that Jules, Brady and their friends had been responsible for Carol's death. Tyler had been both heartbroken and outraged. Deena, Stefan, Caroline and him had gone around town, but apparently the werewolves had left or were keeping a low profile.

He entered the room and got the worst surprised of his life.

"Hello Damon." said Jonathan Gilbert, turning to him.

"John." stated Damon, not happy at all with the Gilbert patriarch being back in town, but for the sake of it, he shook the man's hand. "Why are you back?"

"Liz called and told me about Carol. I came as fast as I could. Let's face it; with no more Lockwood old enough to be part of the council, I thought my coming back would be beneficiary to it. Liz and I were talking about it just before you came in." replied the blond man like he actually cared.

"Damon, did you heard anything about what might have happened?" asked Liz turning hopeful eyes to him.

"Actually, I think I do. I saw a couple of new people in town over the last few weeks. Two of them talked to Tyler and were quite intense about Mason Lockwood. Odelle had to intervene before they went too far," answered Damon.

"Please make sure Odelle is careful. She is so nice and I wouldn't want anything bad happening to her or your son," replied Liz smiling at Damon.

"A son?" exclaimed John bemused.

"John, you've been gone too long now; Damon is the proud father of a little boy; who happens to be the most adorable baby I've ever seen. He's been going out with Odelle St-Amand, the French teacher, for a while now."

"I thought Mister Leroux was the French teacher?" said John confused.

"He was killed; him and his two first replacements. Odelle was very lucky, she was attacked twice, the first time she was saved by Damon, but she almost died the second time, but was saved by Alaric. We had vicious Vampires last year in towns, but Damon was able to find outside help and got rid of them," explained the sheriff.

"You will have to tell me more about it Liz when the reunion is over."

…

To say Damon was pissed off, angry or enraged would be little; he was livid. How the hell had things turned around like that; it got so twisted he couldn't believe it; Jonathan Gilbert, his worst nightmare and pain in the arse was now the new acting mayor of Mystic Fall. He knew the man couldn't have come back for any good reason. This was a disaster and he knew it. He was driving furiously toward the Boarding house and had asked everyone to be there A.S.A.P. He knew it was late, but this was urgent.

When he got home, everyone was waiting for him in the living room. He started pacing in front of them.

"We have a major situation! John Gilbert is back in town and it will be announced tomorrow that he is the new acting Mayor. The Council is making sure that he will stay in position. I couldn't do anything, but follow their lead or it would have been too suspicious. And the damn bastard sneered at me when the news came out. He went behind my back to get most of their approvals," raged on Damon. "We will have to be extra careful now, and Athena; don't let that bastard close to our son. Same for you Lucy! Whatever reasons he's back, none of you under no circumstances can trust him. Oh and Tyler, you might get a visit from him; apparently he would love to get some of the Lockwood hospitality for a few months."

"He can take the mansion, I don't care, but he is not touching my mother's things," replied the young werewolf.

"Before I forget, he also wants his ring back!"

"That's not a problem!" said Odelle. "Zeus can make a new one for Alaric and it will look different."

"Perfect!" replied Alaric. "I feel better knowing I will still have a ring on."

Seeing Damon's distress; Odelle stood up and suggested for everyone to go back to sleep. Lucy decided to stay the night instead of going home; she didn't want to wake up Deana for a second time.

…

As soon as their bedroom door was closed, Athena shifted back to herself and guided Damon to their bed and made him sit. She prepared everything for a warm and milky Egyptian bath and came back naked to bring Damon to the bathroom. She removed his clothes slowly and they slipped into the hot water, the Vampire sitting in front of his mate, between her legs. She pulled back his head to her shoulder.

"Hey gorgeous…" she murmured, caressing his chest then his abs lazily. "Just want you to relax and stop feeling guilty… You couldn't have known, none of us did; don't blame yourself for something that was out of your control. Yes John Gilbert is a very smart man and a powerful one now; but he won't try anything. His only allies are Katherine and Isobel and one of them is dead. Also, Isobel won't find anything about Cleatus, Klaus, Deena or me."

Damon sighed deeply before turning his lips to her neck. She smiled and pressed her pumping vein closer to him; encouraging him, but he simply nipped without biting.

"You're okay?" she asked, her voice still very low.

"Yeah; I guess. Just pisses me off that he still finds ways to get the upper hand each time we meet; drives me mad. But, let's not think about that for now… I'm actually quite comfy where I am right now." he said a smirked dancing on his lips, as he liked her jugular.

She let her hand slipped lower and encircled his hard rock erection in a firm grip. She made slow up and down movements, passing her thumb over the head gently. She used her second hand to cup his balls and massaged them as she kept pleasuring her man.

"Feels amazing…" moaned Damon.

He put one hand over the one caressing his manhood and another one behind Athena's head, caressing her hair. She groaned at the touch as he kept rubbing that sensitive spot at the nape of her neck.

"Bite me…" she begged and he did; making her come in the same process, without doing anything else than drinking her blood.

She gave a tight squeeze to both his balls and erection and he came right after her; growling her name sexily. When he came down from his orgasmic high, he licked the closing punctures on Athena's neck and sighed again, but this time in contentment. She sure knew how to calm him.

They got out and took a quick shower before going back to their bedroom. Damon made a quick stop to Rain's nursery; checking up on his son, who was passed out; making baby noises that looked like snoring as small bubbles were escaping his mouth. He caressed Rain's hair tenderly, smiling at him and went back to his mate. She was naked, as usual, and waiting for him under the covers.

He lied on his back and pulled her to his chest.

"Thank you," he said against her hair.

"My pleasure, I assure you!" she replied, smiling.

"I'm sure it was… but really, thank you." he said again his voice serious.

"You would have done the same for me." she looked up at him. "Love you."

"Love you too my Athena." he said before kissing her passionately.

They kissed for a while before finally settling for the night. They would think about a plan tomorrow…

_~ November 10__th__ 2011 ~_

Tonight was the full moon and Tyler couldn't have been any more excited that he was. The last month had been hard for him after losing his mom, but his friends had helped a lot. He had gotten closer to Caroline and even though they were really young, he knew she was the one for him. He had also found a mother figure in Athena; it was probably due to their relation as wolves, but he was glad he still had that in his life. And Stefan had been there for both Caroline and him too, so he was his father figure. There was no way in hell he would ever see Damon as a father.

He was running to meet the couple and their child close to the Lockwood secret lair. From there, Athena would shift into Sapphire, and they would run to the Centaurus meadow. It was so deep into the forest of Mystic Fall that no one ever dared to go there; they would have the entire place to themselves. He couldn't wait until moonrise. When he reached them, his phone rang; it was Caroline.

"Hey you, you're okay?" he asked to his girlfriend.

"_Tyler!"_ she exclaimed excitedly. _"I'm good! Just wanted to tell you that I love you and that I hope you have a blast tonight! I'm so mad I wasn't able to convince Damon to take pictures of you and Rain; I'd love to have one."_

"What will you do tonight?" asked Tyler, smiling at his girl's excitement.

"_I might surprise my mom and go spend the night with her and maybe a few more days since she's off."_

"Ok, well, I'll talk to you later; you'll give me a call when you're done with your mom?"

"_For sure!"_

"Love you Care!" said Tyler affectionately.

"_Love you too; bye! Bye!" she finished before hanging up._

He turned back to the couple and they left together.

Once in the Centaurus meadow, Tyler changed into a simple pair of boxer and lied on the ground, waiting. Damon undressed his son, but kept a warm cover around him and removed his bracelet blocking him from changing.

When Tyler started to change, Sapphire shifted into Loup and Rain followed his mom's lead, changing into a wolf pup. He went to Loup and she licked his ears gently before pushing him toward Tyler who was now sitting fully changed.

Damon was trying his best not to laugh out loud; Rain was so excited and happy; running around Tyler frantically; it was hilarious.

…

It was almost time for Tyler to change back when Rain did something unexpected; he shifted back into himself. Damon was on the verge of panic, but Loup stopped him. She wasn't happy with the surprise, but knew her son's instincts wouldn't have let him change if there was any danger. Rain got closer to the teenage wolf and smiled happily.

"Yler! Yler!" he repeated, patting the wolf fur on the top of his head.

The wolf didn't move which made Rain pouted. He got closer and finally hugged the wolf before giving it a kiss on its muzzle. Tyler licked Rain's cheek in exchange and which made the baby giggled. He lied down; sleep claiming him as it usually did when he was about to change back. Rain stay glued to him, embracing the wolf until Tyler was back to himself. Damon took his son in his arms while Loup changed to Sapphire and took Tyler in hers and they ran back to the Boarding house.

…

Caroline walked down the street to her car, holding some desert for her mom and her. She was looking in her purse to find her keys when she felt someone's presence behind her, she didn't get a chance to fully turn before she was knocked down by a brutal blow to her head. She blacked out.

When she woke up, panicking, it was almost morning. She found herself in a huge cage. She tried to escape and reached out to the bars before crying out in pain has she realized that what she thought had been water, was in fact vervain. She looked around, trying to find anything that could help her, but whined again when she felt an excruciating pain coursing through her arm. She looked down and to her horror, she saw multiple biting marks; werewolves.

"Let me out of here!" she screamed, her voice filled with terror.

…

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** _It was sooo much fun writing that scene with Tyler and Rain! XD See you next time! Please review! I'd love to know what you think so far! xoxo~ Meye_

Translation:  
><strong><em>Qui ne dit mot consent<em>** - Silence is consent


	6. 4 The Kill

**Disclaimer:** This story is based on characters and situations from _The Vampire Diaries_ series created by _L. J. Smith_ and developed by _Kevin Williamson/CW Network_. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringements are intended. OCs are all mine, please ask before using them anywhere.

**Beta Reader:** The lovely _OnyxvanGem_

****A/N:**** _A new chapter! Have fun reading!_

* * *

><p><strong><span>The Kill<span>**

_~ October 11__th__ 2011 ~_

Back at the Boarding house and unaware of their friend mortal peril; Damon and Athena were still sleeping peacefully. Last night, they had come back, put Tyler to bed and washed Rain before putting him in his cot. The couple had then taken a shower and fell asleep quite fast since the night had been quite eventful for them on an emotional level.

Athena's eyes fluttered open; she was laying on her front with a very comforting weight almost all over her. With some efforts, she was able to turn around and faced Damon; the movement woke the Vampire. He looked down at his mate and kissed her, humming in pleasure. The Shape-shifter used one hand to caress his silken hair and let the other one slip down his body until it closed around his growing erection, masturbating him slowly.

Damon pushed her hand aside and plunged into her core; making his mate screamed his name in both ecstasy and pain. But that didn't stop the Vampire who kept pounding into her body ruthlessly grunting and growling with each squeeze of her walls on his pulsing cock.

He had been trusting into her non-stop for the last five minutes, when he finally slowed down.

"Are you trying to turn me into an animal Athena?" he asked voice filled with lust and desire. His eyes were black as night, veins pumping around them.

"I-I don't… understand…" she barely got out as he kept hitting her g-spot; making her eyes roll behind her head.

"All those pheromones you're emitting around you, it's driving me mad! I just want to devour you and kill anyone coming close to you right now. Your scent… it's intoxicating, it's divine… Anyone in the house with supernatural abilities will smell you. I should have known better than to let you go to bed without taking you…" he finished before increasing his speed again; as more dark veins appeared on his face.

"Oh God… Damon…" she moaned; as more orgasms hit her one after the other.

The Vampire bit his tongue hard enough to draw blood and bent down to kiss his mate. He drew back, just a little bit, but then went down to her neck and took her honeyed blood in his mouth. The beast inside him was uncontrollable; it wanted more, so he took more and gave more.

Athena couldn't handle the intense pleasure that kept coming, wave after wave, hitting her with full force each time; everything went white and in that precise moment it was only pure bliss; she fainted.

Damon pounded into her a few more times before trusting his hips in her a final time; howling as he came inside her. He was shaking as he tried to regain control of himself, but finally, the beast went dormant again and his eyes turned back to its piercing blue color. He bit his wrist and forced his blood down his mate's throat slowly. He pulled out of her and groaned at the lost.

He got out of bed and walked to the bathroom on shaky legs and drew a bath for Athena. He came back, picked her up in his arms and brought her back with him; taking his time to wash the sleeping Shape-shifter. He smiled as she moved unconsciously toward his touch, soft moans passing through her lips. When they were both cleaned up, he took her to bed and sat beside her as she lied silently. He looked down at her body covered by a simple white sheet before caressing her flat stomach. Maybe when everything was over; they could think about having more children. He kissed her forehead and laughed softly when he heard his son babbling on the monitor. He gave one last kiss to his mate full lips, put on some clothes and went to Rain's nursery.

"Hello little man! Are you hungry too?" he asked smiling.

"Hungry!" chanted the baby boy, lifting his arms to his father.

Damon changed him, putted his bracelet on and went down to the kitchen. He found his brother at the dining table sipping a cup of blood. He placed Rain in his highchair and prepared food for him.

"Can I make a suggestion?" said Stefan as he moved around the table to sit closer to his nephew.

"Good morning to you too, brother of mine!" replied Damon sarcastically.

"Seriously Damon, it would be a very good idea for you and Athena to sleep at her house after a full moon. I'm not saying that I want your girl, so don't get territorial on me, but her sex pheromones were all over the house this morning and…"

"I get it!" cut Damon. "Don't worry about it, it won't happen again. Last night was the first time after a full moon that we hadn't slept together. We usually get quite wild after those nights, but with Rain and everything we were quite exhausted. Apparently though, seems like those nights kinda switch on something inside her too and, oh boy, was it amazing or what!"

"Damon, too much information and Rain is right beside me," reprimanded his brother.

"He's not listening," said Damon not even looking at his son.

Stefan was about to protest when he took a glance at the baby Shape-shifter and saw him playing intensively with a plastic spoon; shaking it hard for no particular reason than the fun of doing it. The younger man laughed at his nephew attics, which made Rain turn to him. The child gave him his usual heart-melting smile before going back to his unknown task of shaking the spoon.

"Well, he sure loves his spoon!" exclaimed Stefan. He turned his attention back to his older brother. "How have you been Damon?"

The Vampire came back with his son's food and sit down in front of Rain, before stealing his spoon. The younger child pouted until baby food was presented to him and he took the whole thing in his mouth munching happily.

"Angry." finally answered Damon while feeding his son. "After everything that we had to go through with _Centaurus_, I thought that we were done with the sacrifices, but apparently we still have all this crap coming at us. I hate this feeling of helplessness; each time we think we are ahead of the game, we get a new surprised and I hate surprises. It was easier before, just caring about Elena and Katherine. I would never want to go back to that; having Athena and Rain in my life is more than I could ever have dreamed of… But each time I see her leaving in the morning, I'm scared that she won't come back at night. And just to make it worst that jackass, Brandon or Brett…"

"Brady." confirmed Stefan.

"Yeah, whatever is his name, he and his girl threaten Athena and I can't deal with that Stefan. The need to protect and defend her when she is attacked gets so strong that I can barely hold myself down."

"You know, she is strong enough to protect herself, right?" suggested his brother.

"I'm not stupid, brother of mine! You cannot really understand… it's hard to explain."

"It's like me defending Elena." he replied simply.

"No, it's more than that. If you had stayed the way you were back then when you were a newborn, you would have understood, but now you can't. You've resisted for so long the 'animal' inside of you, that you don't have these feelings when it comes to Elena. You still see her as your girlfriend or maybe even the woman of your life. But for me or maybe even Tyler or Deena, it's more than that. I have those primeval instincts; it's so deeply anchored that I can't fight them and luckily for me, Athena understands it and let me be. We both know she can defend herself, but she also knows that I need to take care of her and she let me do it. When I think of her, I don't simply see the mother of my child or my girlfriend; deep inside my core I can feel my whole body screaming 'mate'. It was so terrifying at first; I didn't want to hurt her or anything, but she accepts who and what I am, just like I do for her." Damon paused for a moment. "When I spoke with her about it, she explained to me the concept of mate. At first, I was almost laughing at her; telling her that it was too romantic and how she could believe this…"

"But…?" asked Stefan, urging his brother to continue.

"She said that it had been so ridiculed in books and movies that people had stopped looking for it. See, the best way to explain it is to look at people who will have more than one boyfriend or girlfriend, but marry only one of them and stay with that person until they die. Then switch that for animals, some of them will stay with the same partner until they die, and furthermore some will even commit suicide if their partner were to die from unnatural death. It's the same for us, but as supernatural beings, everything is enhance; that, you already know. So this one true love, it is stronger in us too, Athena said you could call it a soul mate, but with people believing that Vampires have no souls or werewolves were untameable beasts, they used the term mate. At that point in our conversation, I was still sceptic, so she gave me proof and that is when I got terrified."

"What did she say?"

"She asked me to go back to when I was in love with Elena." Damon stopped uncomfortable with the subject.

"It's okay; we both know what your feelings were and it's in the past. Go on…" pushed Stefan; curiosity getting the best of him.

"Then she asked me a simple question; what would you do if someone had threatened her life? I answered that I would have plotted to prevent it and kill that person at any cost. She smiled at me and asked me to picture her instead. She didn't need to ask the next question. It felt like an abyss had opened inside of me, I couldn't think of anything and it felt like something feral was pushing from beneath to come up. I was so terrified, but she took my hands in hers and kissed me. I remember looking at her and her simple words to me '_That is what a mate feels like._'"

"I guess I could translate it as a need versus a want. I want to defend Elena with all my being, but you have this need to defend Athena with everything you have." He paused. "I may not feel it yet, but I can understand it. But still, to go back to what I was saying, don't let her go wild on us in the Boarding house, please…" he said laughing.

Damon smirked, but then smiled devilishly as he smelled her scent coming their way. He turned around and saw Athena entering the kitchen wearing a white satin ensemble; it was a babydoll top with lace details and a pair of mini short. She was bare feet and her hairs were still slightly tussled.

Damon looked annoyed that she would wear such a thing in front of someone else than him, but Stefan knew better. He was actually the only one who wouldn't get ripped apart for seeing her like that. Damon had developed this trust in him when it came to Athena, not that he wouldn't get badly injured for seeing the Shape-shifter naked; but Damon didn't really care.

Athena walked behind her Vampire lover and passed her hand through his silky hair then down to his neck. She smiled at Rain, not caring for anything in the world, but the spoon full of food in front of him.

"Hey Stefan!" she said before looking sheepishly. "Sorry about yesterday… I didn't know it would have that effect on my hormones!"

"It's alright, no worries!" replied Stefan. "So, how was the night with Tyler and Rain?"

"It was amazing, but our mischievous boy gave us a run for our money when he shifted back to himself to hug Tyler. But it was adorable. And they fell asleep together almost spooning." said Athena.

"Wish I could have seen this!" said Stefan wishfully.

"And I wished I had a camera at that time!" replied Athena. "So, any special plans today?"

"Not really… Though, I know Alaric will be working on a new invention of his. He says it's a secret and doesn't want us to see it until it's ready. Would you like me to take care of Rain for the day?" asked Stefan.

"Would you like to spend the day with your uncle Stefan?" asked Athena to her son.

"Sefan!" cheered the baby, still unable to pronounce his T's properly.

"I guess that's a yes," laughed Damon. "What could we possibly do?" he asked, lifting his head and smirked at Athena doing his sexy eyes thing.

"Sex fiend!" she replied playfully and gave him a kiss. She looked back at Stefan. "Are you sure about spending the day with him? You don't have to do this…"

"I insist! I'd love to spend more time with Rain!" he confirmed, caressing the baby's hair, which turned to him and smiled at his uncle adoringly. "How can I resist such a smile anyway?"

"Well it's a done deal then!" said Damon standing up and trusting the spoon and food in Stefan hands. He took Athena in his arms and put her over his shoulder and ran upstairs to their bedroom.

Both Stefan and Rain blinked at the empty spot and turned to each other. Stefan shook his shoulders with a noncommittal sound, and burst out in laughers when Rain simply opened his mouth demanding for more food.

…

Caroline had barely slept for a couple of hours when she was startled awake by loud sounds coming from upstairs. She looked around frantically still hoping to find anything that could help her, nothing. There were many voices up there and she couldn't tell how many they were, but if they were all werewolves, she was in trouble for sure. She had screamed her heart out before falling asleep.

Finally, she heard footsteps coming down. They were two. A door opened; a man and a woman came in. The smile they gave her was bone chilling and she gulped a few times.

"So the baby Vamp-bimbo is finally awake!" said the man. "Hello there Caroline, my name is Brady and this is Jules." he finished pointing at the woman beside him.

"You are Mason's friends and the one who threatened my friends. What do you want with me? I did nothing."

"Oh! We know that darling, but that doesn't mean that we don't need you. Now, Brady here would like to ask you a couple of questions, each time you don't answer, he will make sure that you will. You see where I'm going?"

"Go to hell!" Caroline spat back at the she-wolf.

"Is that so?" replied Brady as he approached the cage, taking on his way a huge watering can.

He looked down at the Vampire in the cage and sneered at her before pouring water over it. Caroline wailed in pain as her skin started to burn. She could see and feel the flesh pealing off her arms.

"Please…" she begged.

"Already begging?" asked Brady laughing. "Talk!"

"What do you want to know?" said Caroline between harsh breaths.

"Where is Mason? Is he really dead? And who killed him?" demanded Brady.

"Damon killed Mason over a year ago, but I don't know where he, I swear. Please, let me go."

"Let you go? After what you and crew have done, never!" snarled Brady as he took a gun out of the back of his pants and shot the Vampire in her thigh.

She screamed.

"Why was he here?" asked Jules.

"We never knew for sure, but we knew that he was working with Katherine and that is why he was killed. But it backfired, as she made sure that Tyler would be turned afterward. He was after the moon stone…" she finished in a murmured; it was so hard to talk through the pain.

"The moon stone? That little liar!" exclaimed Jules. "Where is it now?"

"The moon stone? It's gone…"

"Gone where?" yelled Brady at her.

"I-I don't know!"

"She lies. She knows where it is, but why lie now…" asked Jules curiously. Then she seemed to understand something.

"What is it?" said Brady looking at the girl beside him.

"Just a theory that I want to check… Hey Blondie, is Katherine dead?"

"Yes."

"Who killed her?" pressed Jules.

Caroline stayed silent, making Jules smirked.

"I thought so. When I spoke to the French teacher, she seemed too confident like she knew something that I didn't, but it's not just her; it's the whole gang. Whatever happened a year ago, they avoid talking about it. They can and will only answer certain questions…"

"Interesting… Well she will talk with me I assure you!" replied the male werewolf before shooting at Caroline multiple times, always avoiding her heart.

She roared in pain, but it got worse as the werewolves bites started to look more and more infected and it made the pain a thousand times harder to bear. She had a second to glance at the man before he shot a last time at her hitting square between the eyes. She fell back in the cage unmoving.

She jumped awake and hit her head hard on the bars. She pulled out all the bullets with a disgusted groan. She felt so weak; she could barely sit.

"Aw! You're back with us!" exclaimed Brady sneering. "As you can see, I have no problem torturing you, you are beneath me, and you're not even human!"

"Obviously though, I'm the one with the soul, you, you are just a monster!" snarled Caroline at the man.

"You still have too much arrogance left in that body of yours!" he said splashing more water over her.

She cried out and felt like throwing up as the smell of her burning flesh kept coming to her.

"Who is Odelle St-Amand?" asked Jules looking at her nails.

"W-What do you mean? She's a French teacher and she's with Damon…"

"And the baby?"

Both werewolves jumped back in surprised as Caroline raged out inside the cage snapping her teeth at them. They hadn't anticipated such a strong reaction.

"Leave the child alone!" she screamed at them hysterically.

"Well… that was unexpected!" replied Jules.

"We could take one of the babies," suggested Brady.

"That is not a good idea Brady. We have to be rational about this; babies? They will be heavily protected. But we could take the humans, especially that Odelle; I can't stand her. We should have taken her instead."

"But a human is less fun!" he replied shooting Caroline in the shoulder. He laughed at her cries. "Is the teacher important to Damon?"

"Y-Yes…" she replied crying. She felt like she was betraying her friends even though she knew she could share this information with them.

"Tell me, once again, who killed Katherine?" pressed on Jules, but got no answer from the blond vampire. "Do it!" she ordered Brady.

The man came toward Caroline with jumper cables and attached them to the cage's bars. He went back to Jules and pulled out from a dark corner a big battery. He plugged both cable on them, but nothing happened.

"Last chance Blondie!" he offered.

"I'll never betray my friends no matter what! Katherine made me do it once, but I won't ever do it. Hear that? You can both burn in hell!" she snarled back at them with the last of her strength to argue.

"As you wish!" replied Brady turning on the battery.

It took mere seconds for the electric current to reach the cage and Caroline howled in pain as she felt every single cells of her body burning and exploding from the inside. Brady let it go for about five minutes before closing it; his ears were about to bleed from her screams. Jules and the male werewolf looked on as the vampire stopped moving, but they saw blood dripping from her mouth as she lied inside the cage, eyes wide open.

"Do you think we finally broke her?" he asked casually.

Before Jules was able to answer, Caroline grabbed her head and roared once more in pain. Her eyes turned black before she pulled furiously at the bars growling at them. Not even a minutes later, she was back at holding her head in agony.

"It has started. The curse is getting to her; it's driving her mad now. We won't get any more answers from her. Leave Will, James and Thomas to guard her while we go and pick up the others at the airport."

"Let's go them!" said Brady not even sparing a second glance at the dying Vampire as he exited the room.

They left the small house with the wailing Vampire downstairs.

_~ October 12__th__ 2011 ~_

She had barely slept last night, not that they had tortured her again, far from it; their bites were doing the job for them. At one point, she had wished that one of them would have just torn her arm away, but no, they wanted her to suffer. They had made it clear.

She had refused to tell them anything. Caroline Forbes could be called many things, but she would never put her friends in danger to save her own ass. She was loyal and would gladly die to save them.

From time to time, she would regain her mind and looked around trying to find a way to escape, but those moments became fewer as time progressed. How long did she still have before the end? She could feel her whole body weakening and her mind shattering; saying that it was terrifying was saying little. The despair she felt when her mind would start to wander off and the searing pain came back; it was unbearable.

Their fight had not even begun and she would be the first one to fall…

It was coming back; the tingling in her arm, it always started like that. Then it moved to her other arm, then her torso and legs. And just as the tingling went away the sudden pain hit her like thousands of needles running through her veins; and she screamed. It hurt, so much, this disease eating at her brain, every single part of her was breaking and soon she would die.

"Make it stop!" she roared in agony.

And then, it was too much to talk and she just screeched to anyone who would hear her. Nothing was important, but the pain. She just wanted to die.

"Caroline!" yelled a familiar voice through the darkness.

There was still hope…

…

Damon and Odelle were walking down the street; strolling around their son who was pointing anything excitedly and babbling about everything. The last two days had been uneventful and they were trying to enjoy at the most those little moment of peace in this upcoming unknown war they would be facing. Having Cleatus around had had its advantages, but also it's inconvenient; one of them was the fact that Athena was a powerful Druid, but had very few knowledge and her visions were generally too hazy to understand. Lucy though, brought as much as she could from her dream with Cleatus.

The Vampire looked at his mate talking animatedly with their son and smiled. She could be worse than him when it came to insects and right now both mother and son were happily chatting about a butterfly that had just happened to take a break on his son stroller. He laughed out loud when they pouted over the butterfly flying away.

"Hey guys!" said Sheriff Forbes coming to them. "How have you been?"

"Hi Liz!" replied Odelle smiling. "We are doing well. Of course, it's hard for Tyler, but we are there for him."

"Enjoying your days off?" asked Damon.

"Always! Talking about Tyler though, could you tell Caroline to return my phone calls? I was hoping for her to spend some time with me…"

"Of-Of course!" babbled out Odelle. "Oh! Look at the time, we told your brother we would be back soon. It was a pleasure to see you Liz, I'll make sure to tell Caroline!"

"Thanks, bye guys!" said Liz to the retreating couple.

They upped in Damon car and drove full speed to the Boarding house. Odelle called everyone panicking on the phone and warning Bonnie to be ready to make a locating spell.

…

Everyone was in the living room when they came running in with Rain in Damon's arms. He gave the toddler to Elena and ran up, coming back with a picture.

"Ok guys, what's wrong?" asked Tyler terrified.

"It's Caroline," answered Odelle. "We saw Liz downtown and she asked about Caroline; none of us have seen her since the Full moon and neither has Liz. We need to locate her A.S.A.P."

Damon gave the picture to Bonnie and she started the spell. Odelle was beside Tyler trying to calm him down.

"I found her, she's there!" pointed Bonnie on a map. "She's just outside the Mystic Fall forest. But something is wrong with her."

"What do you mean?" asked Elena worried for her friend.

"It's like her essence or who she is… it's like hazy… I can't explain it."

"She's dying," said Odelle and Deena at the same time, both horrified.

"We have to go, now," said Stefan.

Odelle shifted into wind and left knowing that she would be faster this way. Stefan, Damon, Deena and Tyler followed, running as fast as they could.

It took Athena a few minutes to get there, she knew the other ones would be here soon, but she couldn't wait for them. She shifted back into Sapphire and sniffed to get anything helpful scent; that's went she caught it in the wind; the agonizing scream. She ran to it. She found a dilapidated house. She stormed in and was welcomed by three men; werewolves obviously, but powerless to her in their human form. She broke their necks in a matter of seconds and ran downstairs. As she looked for Caroline, she heard her friends coming in upstairs, yelling for her.

That's when she saw the blond girl in a dark corner. She was in a huge cage smelling of vervain; bullets lying around her and most of her body burned as she kept screaming, grabbing her arms. She opened the cage as the rest of the group entered the room.

"Caroline!" yelled Sapphire trying to get her attention, but it was a lost cause. She took the blond vampire's head in her hands and looked into her eyes. _[You will calm down. Everything is okay, we are here now. Let me help you.]_

"What's wrong with her?" asked a terrified Tyler.

"She's about to die from werewolves bites. I need to bring her back to the Boarding house now." said Sapphire taking the young Vampire in her arms. "Burn down the house!" she ordered before disappearing in a flash.

Damon turned to Tyler. "Go! We will take care of this!"

"Thank you Damon." he replied nodding before running out.

"I'll call Lucy so she can get the antidote ready!" suggested Stefan.

…

Sapphire came bursting through the door, holding a whimpering Caroline who was barely conscious. As soon as she came in, Lucy was beside her, putting the antidote to the Vampire lips. The older Vampire looked down at Caroline.

_[You will drink everything and then, you will rest,]_ ordered Sapphire. And the blond girl did as she was commanded.

"Thank you…" whispered Caroline before fainting.

Sapphire brought the girl to hers and Tyler's bedroom and put her to bed. She looked her thoughts, before shifting into Zeus and checked her vitals. They had been lucky; a few more hours and they would have been too late. She heard Tyler barging in the house and shifted back into Odelle before he was running in and then slowed down; walking beside her. The gang had come up, but had stayed outside, unable to hear what was being said.

"Is she…?" started the werewolf unable to finish.

Odelle smiled. "Yes; she will be fine, but she will need a lot of rest and blood to heal." She caressed Tyler's cheek reassuringly. "You stay with her; I'll take care of talking with the others. Don't worry Tyler, she's a fighter." She stood up and gave the werewolf a kiss on the head.

By the time everyone was downstairs and comfortable to talk, the other Vampires had come through the front door. They all took a shower while the rest of the gang waited patiently for their return. At least, she had confirmed that Caroline was going to be okay, but it had still been a close call. This thing with Jules and Brady had just turned seriously dangerous. They had done something unforgivable; they were responsible for Carol Lockwood death, but above everything else they had attack one of their closest friends and had obviously planned to let her die painfully. They still didn't know the strength of the torture Caroline had gone through. But whatever it was, Athena knew that Tyler wouldn't forgive Brady and Jules for that, trying to kill someone else's mate was unforgivable. They would die.

When the three Vampires joined them, Tyler was with them; a deep scowl on his face.

"I want them all dead!" snarled the young werewolf at his friends. "They crossed the line, no more games."

"I may have the solution for our problem…" suggested Alaric, unrolling a plan on the small table and revealing something deadly. "We could test my Wolfsbane bomb on them."

Both Damon and Tyler had a special vendetta with those wolves. They looked down at the plan and sneered.

"That's my kind of idea Ric!" congratulated Damon, patting the professor on the back.

…

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** _Please review if you enjoyed! I'll see you next week! xoxo_


	7. 5 Attack

**Disclaimer:** This story is based on characters and situations from _The Vampire Diaries_ series created by _L. J. Smith_ and developed by _Kevin Williamson/CW Network_. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringements are intended. OCs are all mine, please ask before using them anywhere.

**Beta Reader:** The lovely _OnyxvanGem_

****A/N:**** _NEW CHAPTER!_

* * *

><p><strong><span>Attack<span>**

_~ November 13__th__ 2011 ~_

Caroline was very pale and even though he had been reassured that she would be okay; Tyler was still scared to death for her wellbeing once she would be back.

She had woken up screaming during the night; it had been horrifying for him to watch her scream, as she couldn't move due to Sapphire's order to rest. But the Shape-shifter had come running in and had forced Caroline to wake up. She had fed her more blood before putting her back to sleep with a command to have pleasant dreams. Tyler had had his doubts about the order, but it had worked.

He knew that Dee had watched over them when exhaustion had won and he had fallen asleep during the night after Caroline nightmare episode. The strawberry blond Vampire was a big sister to Caroline and he could see in her eyes how pained she was to see Caroline like that.

He felt a hand passed through his hair and jumped, before turning around to see Athena smiling at him, but genuine concern on her face for him.

"Hey…" he said.

"Hey…" she whispered back still caressing his hair. "Why don't you go take a shower and then go downstairs to eat something?" she suggested.

"I'm not hungry!" he whined like a child, but was betrayed by his wrenching belly which made itself known by a deep resounding growl.

"Hey?" she said calmly. "I'll watch over her myself until you get back. She won't wake up, I promise. Now go…"

He sighed deeply, but did as he was told.

_~ November 21__st__ 2011 ~_

A whole week had passed, during that time, Odelle had gone to see Liz to tell her that Caroline had caught a cold and had been running a fever, but she was doing better. Sheriff Forbes had seen her daughter who had been quite hot indeed; thanks to Bonnie and Lucy who had cast a spell on Caroline, but had been sleeping peacefully. She had been thankful for her daughter's friends to take such good care of her during her absence because of work.

Yesterday, Sapphire had removed the compulsion on the blonde Vampire, saying that she was going to wake up soon anyway. That news had made Tyler a little mad, as he had to be away that day to meet people for the succession. Damon had gone with him to assure that he wouldn't sign anything that he shouldn't be, but above everything to make sure that he would be safe.

Deena was sitting on the bed next to Caroline and was reading calmly as if nothing was wrong. But she had been very scared for the baby Vampire who she considered to be the sister she had lost so many years ago. Not many people knew the whole truth about her family; only Cleatus, Athena and Alaric, but Dee hadn't been an only child and contrary to the gang's beliefs, she had a last name and Deena was not her real name. When Athena and Cleatus had rescued her, she hadn't been able to go on with her name as it brought back the best and yet the worse memories. Dee had been born Diane Spencer in England to Henry and Margaret Spencer. She had had three siblings; Henry II, Francis and Elizabeth. She had saved her sister who had been able to escape back then, but had paid a highly price for it. Her parents had done everything to find her, but with humans against Vampires it had been a lost cause. She had spied on her parents, brothers and sister until their death. She had visited her sister right before her last moment; Elizabeth had thought she had been an angel or even an illusion; she had been in tears, begging for forgiveness and Deena had told her sister that saving her had been the best thing she had ever done. It had been emotional to see the last of her sibling die, but she was glad that she had done it…

She was brought out of her reverie by a subtle movement from Caroline. She closed her book and focused on the younger Vampire as her eyes slowly fluttered opened.

"Welcome back." she said caressing her hair gently.

"I'm not dead?" whispered Caroline.

"Obviously not…"

"I'm… I'm not dead…" she repeated before bursting into sobs, turning to her side.

Dee brought Caroline into her arms, holding her close as her friend cried her heart out…

…

The young Vampire had cried herself to sleep and had woken up after an hour. She had drunk four bags of blood before feeling fully energized. She had taken a shower and put on some clothes.

She was now sitting legs crossed on her bed with Deena; the both of them holding hands.

"Do you want to talk about it?" asked Dee in a whisper.

"Not now, but I'd like to. Not to Tyler though, it's too much…"

"I know…"

"You do, don't you?" she replied smiling.

"I'm relieved to see that you don't have any aftereffect. It was the only thing Athena wasn't sure about," she said sighing happily.

"I didn't tell them anything important!"

"Care, we trust you and your judgement. But it's good to know. I'm really glad that you're okay," she murmured, tears in her eyes.

"Oh! Don't cry, or I'll cry with you!" exclaimed Caroline, panicking.

"Sorry, I was just very scared, you're like a baby sister to me and…"

"Am I, really?" asked the younger Vampire, cutting Deena. "I thought I was the only one feeling this way with our friendship. You're like the sibling I always wished to have. I care a lot about my friends, especially Elena and Bonnie, but with you; it's like you're my big sister."

They hugged and laughed.

They kept talking till right before dinner when Tyler came back. The werewolf had been ecstatic to see Caroline awake and they had had a late super has they had talked in their room.

The whole gang had waited for them and had eaten together.

The planning could wait another day…

_~ December 1__st__ 2011 ~_

It was about 1:30pm and most of the gang had been hanging outside when they heard Bonnie and Jeremy screaming for help inside the Boarding house. Lucy, Elena, Alaric and Caroline, had stayed behind, taking care of the two young children. They could only hear more screaming and things being broken as their friends ran inside.

They received quite the shock of their lives once they saw who was causing all this trouble; Damon. The older Salvatore brother was enraged and kept attacking the young couple as Bonnie kept pushing him back with her magic, but she was tiring fast. Damon was out of control and they didn't know why. His eyes looked black, but a sharp eye could see that they were actually crimson.

"It's like he has gone feral!" exclaimed Deena. "Bonnie, Jeremy, we will distract him. As soon as we do get out! The same for you Tyler, this is too dangerous."

Sapphire shifted into air, and caused a huge blast of wind to push Damon far away from the couple so they could make their exit with the werewolf. She held her mate down as Dee and Stefan kept looking frantically for any clues. It was finally Stefan who spotted a crumpled letter on the floor near the fireplace. He ran to it and opened it and read.

"Found it!" he said running back to Dee who gasped as she read it too.

"Athena, Brady threatened you and your son. It is quite graphic and that is probably what set Damon off in the first place. You'll have to read it while we… err occupy him I guess? I can't read this out loud it could just push him even more into madness."

As soon as Athena shifted back into Sapphire to run to them, Deena gave her the letter and ran to Damon trying to hold him down. His rage was unbelievable and she had to use all of her strength to hold him down and even there, Stefan had to help her.

Sapphire looked down and was shocked to read the letter. She was happy to be in her vampire form or she would have thrown up.

_~Salvatore,_

_It has come to my attention that your precious girlfriend is quite the fierce lady; something, I must say, that I find quite appetizing when it comes to certain aspect of my life. She's also quite easy on the eyes and judging by the kind of creatures she lowers herself to, I'm pretty sure she wouldn't mind expending her horizons especially with the kind of man, if I can call you a man; she's sharing her bed with at the moment._

_Your blond friend was a nice plaything, but I'm sure Odelle would look amazing as she screamed for help under my hands. Don't you think that beautiful body of hers would look even better with bruises and all bloodied? It would be my pleasure to beat the Vampire out of her and make sure to inject some of those werewolf genes between those gorgeous legs of hers…_

_See where I'm going here yet? Let me make it clear just in case; the first chance I get, I will take her and that bastard child she has. I will make sure that she knows what happens to her child while she can't do a thing to help him. My pack is so hungry during the full moon; I think fresh meat would make them happy._

_As for the woman, I think I'll keep her to myself. It would be too much fun to violate her as she wailed for you to save her. I'll make sure that she knows how a real man takes a woman like her. And when she thinks I'm finally done with her; I'll break her mind even more and use her body in all the ways possible emptying myself inside her core each time._

_I guess I could keep her for a couple of full moons before I would get bored with her little body. Then, I would use her one last time, and maybe then, share her with my companions and then finally use one of those coffins, how poetic, and throw her inside. What do you think about that, buried alive; knowing that you wouldn't be able to save her, or maybe making her believe that you didn't care anymore. Dying alone, frighten and asphyxiated._

_So, Salvatore, you better watch you pretty toys or I will get my hands on them._

_Brady~_

Sapphire had tears in her eyes once she was done reading. She knew for sure that Brady hadn't known the full repercussions of sending this to Damon. He had done more than provoked him; this, this was the most horrible thing she had ever read. She was mad for her son, but she was heartbroken for her mate. Werewolves usually talked about marking the ones they would killed, well if she managed to calm Damon, Brady was marked for a very painful death, that, she was sure of.

She needed a place to stay for a few days alone with Damon; she had an idea of what was going to happen and they couldn't be disturbed.

"Stefan, is there a place where I could go with Damon? It has to be far from prying eyes," asked Sapphire, her voice shaking.

"The Lockwood has a cottage build just outside Mystic Fall. They used to do some of their Council meetings there. If Tyler hasn't sign any papers yet… CRAP!" he screamed as Damon bit his hand almost ripping it away. "It would mean that they still belong to Carol, making it possible for Damon to get in. I could find you the way… It should be somewhere in my old father's books."

Sapphire took his place and looked straight at Damon's eyes. _[Stop and sit down!]_

Damon did, but the keen scream that followed was painful to all of them. Her mate gazed at him and started to cry.

"Stefan, make it fast, please!" she begged. She heard the younger vampire running through the library.

"What is wrong with him? Why is he screaming like that? And why don't you stay here?" urged Deena for her friend to tell her.

"He's in physical pain. I can see everything inside him right now. The letter, it kind of triggered his instincts to protect me, but I don't know, it's worse than anything I've ever seen before. He doesn't even recognize me like this. And we can't stay here, the moment that he finally sees me as his mate; he will kill anyone coming to us. I don't want Rain to see him like that and he wouldn't either." She looked toward the stairs. "Damn it Stefan! Hurry up!"

They heard him whooped and he came back downstairs and showed the location to Sapphire.

"Ok guys, you have to get out…"

"We can't let you alone with him!" exclaimed Stefan.

"Do you want to die? I'm about to do something that could get me killed too. You cannot be here…"

"Be careful…" begged Deena.

"Go."

Sapphire ran to the kitchen; she shifted into herself and heard Damon roaring louder than before; he had smelled her; she had to hurry up. She took a knife and cut herself and let some of her blood fall into a plate. When there was enough, she changed back into Sapphire and smeared the blood all over her. She made sure to wash the plate, no need to drive the other vampires crazy with bloodlust.

She went back into the living room were Damon on seeing her howled in pain. She knew the moment she would release the command he would attack her thinking that she had hurt his mate. She was very happy to be older, making her faster, because he would push himself to the limit to get her.

_[I release you.]_ And she ran out the front door with Damon on her trail as he followed the scent of her blood.

She made sure to slow down her pace from time to time so that he wouldn't lose her. When she was able to see the Lockwood cottage with her vampire's eyesight, she speeded at her maximum, knowing he would see her enter.

She was happy to see that the place had obviously been taken care of, as it was very clean inside. She ran to a room and changed into herself. It took Damon a minute to make his way to the cottage and as soon as he set foot in the place he knew where she was.

When he entered the bedroom, Athena was standing close to the bed, her blood still smearing her skin. He went to her and tore her clothes from her body aggressively.

"I'm okay… I promise…" she murmured reassuringly.

But he was in his own world and touched every single part of her body, especially where there was blood, making sure that she wasn't hurt. When it was done, he looked at her; his iris and pupil were pitched black and the white was crimson. The black veins were so numerous on his face, yet she still found him beautiful. She was startled when he licked her neck; even more when he did the same to her shoulder, and went on and on, licking the blood from her skin, not leaving a single drop behind.

In the end, he licked her whole body as if he was trying to clean her of something. He left her standing there as he removed his clothes slowly looking at her, eyes filled with lust the whole time. If she hadn't been so turned on by it, she would have laughed at the situation; Damon was showing off like any male animal would do to seduce a female counterpart. But the way he undressed was simply erotic and she would have been lying if she had said that it wasn't making her wet.

When he was naked he took a deep breath and growled lowly at her scent. She blushed. He went to his knees in front of her and plunged his tongue right into her core devouring her. She could barely stand as his tongue and lips kept doing wonders to her; but she knew he would hold her up no matter what.

"D-Damooon…" she moaned as she came, and he drank everything almost purring.

He stood back up, grabbed the back of her neck and brought her lips to his, kissing her fiercely, but in such a way; he had never kissed her so sensually before and she felt like she was melting as his tongue danced with hers.

He picked her in his arms, putting her legs around his waist and entered her. She let her upper body fall forward as he grabbed her ass to lift her up and down faster and deeper. He pulled his head back and kissed her again. She could taste his warn red wine on her tongue as he fed her blood. Just as fast as he had started, he made her come once more and growled in victory, before almost throwing her on the bed in front of them.

Athena was surprised by the sudden move, but didn't get any chance to say anything as Damon put her on all four and trusted back inside, pounding into her and hitting her g-spot repeatedly.

…

As Damon kept plunging into her core ruthlessly, Athena realized that the only reason she hadn't passed out yet was because he had kept feeding her his blood. The pleasure was now so intense that she couldn't make the difference between it and the pain and soreness. Both their bodies were glistening with perspiration.

"Damon… please… no more…" she begged almost delirious.

The Vampire growled and she knew at that moment what he had been doing since he had started to lick her, so she did the only thing she knew would help; she offered herself fully to him, baring her neck. He automatically bit down and drank his fill as he pushed his still engorged cock as deep as he could inside her quivering channel.

He moved his head, making eye contact with her and she saw his face turning back to its most beautiful state as his eyes turned back to their bluest blue.

He looked surprised for a moment. "Athena…" he moaned deeply, closing his eyes as he came in her.

He pulled out slowly when he came back down from his orgasm and felt exhausted.

"Hey…" whispered Athena nuzzling his chin then his cheek. "You've come back to me now?"

"What happened? And where the hell are we? How long was I out?" he asked confused.

"You don't remember? We are in the Lockwood cottage that used to be for the Council meeting." she looked around and saw a clock and gapped at the time. "You were out for almost thirteen hours."

"It's coming back slowly I think… Did I fuck you all this time…?"

"Yes and I am VERY sore. But I've never seen you looking so gorgeous before, Damon you pretty much went through the whole mating process with me. I've never been so turned on in my life." she finished blushing deeply.

He smiled at her, all his love transpiring in that simple gesture before an angry scowled marred his face.

"That bastard, I will kill him; he his mine! No one, but me gets to kill Brady!"

"I know… He's all yours. I'm okay, I'm okay…" she said smiling as she caressed his hair.

"I'm so sorry, I shouldn't have reacted this way, but I've been so stressed out and angry lately that it was just too much to handle. I cannot believe a letter caused me to breakdown. I'll have to say sorry to a couple of persons once we get back…"

"There is no need for forgiveness. And we'll stay here at least another day, just to make sure you are back in shape."

"Mm…" he murmured as he let himself fall beside Athena and pulled her to him so that her head was resting on his chest. He kissed her hair. "It's weird, because I talked about this with Stefan not long after the last full moon… But now, I can really understand what you meant. I did understand before, but not so deeply. Could this happen to you?"

"Maybe, I'm not sure… I don't think so, but I've also made sure that any competition was out of my way!"

He laughed lightly at her jealous tone and yawned, he was so tired. "I think we should sleep for now…"

"Can I get a kiss?"

"Of course!" he replied playfully before giving his mate what she wanted. "Love you."

"_Je t'aime aussi._" she whispered against his lips.

She got comfortable on top of him and soon they were sound asleep.

…

Coming back at the Boarding house had been a weird affair for Damon. He had sat down with Bonnie and Jeremy and had apologized for attacking them. Bonnie had been the biggest surprise; she had put her hand on top of his and smiled saying that it hadn't been his fault and that she understood. Both men had been gobsmacked by her reply. Damon had joked about not being able to call her _Judgy_ anymore and they had laughed, breaking the awkwardness.

Stefan had refused any kind of excuses, saying that there wasn't anything to apologize for; even though he had almost lost a hand. But, he had made it clear that he was 100% behind his brother decision when it came to kill both Brady and Jules.

Athena had reassured everyone that Damon was back to himself and that they could get close to her without losing a limb.

Of course, Rain had been ecstatic and his parents had seen him cry of happiness for the first time. He had probably been scared of never seeing them again. Even more, the small child had refused to let his parents out of his sight for the next two days except when he was sleeping. He had also cried every single time someone, but Athena and Damon, had tried to hold him during those two days.

The letter that had started this whole mess had been destroyed, not because Damon wanted too, but because it needed to be. Brady had made a critical mistake by sending this, which was pretty much offering himself on a silver platter as the witches now had something to track the pack. Sadly, since it wasn't a very personal item, they hadn't been able to specifically pinpoint where they had been. The only thing that they knew was that the werewolves were quite far from Mystic Fall.

They knew Jules and Brady wouldn't stop now, but they wanted to fight on their own ground and would wait for the pack to come to them. Full moon or not, they had the upper hand and as soon as the pack came back, they would be dealt with…

_~ December 10__th__ 2011 ~_

They had made an exception to their plan for this particular fight, so only Bonnie, Elena and Jeremy had been left behind with the babies at Lucy's house. Alaric bearing his new ring had come since he was the one who knew the best how to use his wolfsbane bomb.

They were waiting in the forest, knowing that the pack wouldn't risk coming through the city. Athena was shifted as air and was going around at the limits of the Mystic Fall forest for the werewolves to show up. They had known that taking them down their group against the pack would be relatively easy and that was why they were avoiding using Zeus; they couldn't risk their greatest 'ally'.

As they waited anxiously for the pack's arrival, Tyler was trying to calm down; which wasn't an easy task. He had wanted for Caroline to stay behind, but the back in shape Blonde Vampire had refused to miss her chance at vengeance. But mostly, she wanted to make sure that Tyler wouldn't do anything reckless while transformed.

Finally, Athena shifted beside them. "They should be here in about 5 to 10 minutes. They are waiting for the full moon to be fully risen before coming."

"How will they attack?" asked Deena.

"I'm not sure actually. Usually werewolves are seen as the Alpha male with his second and the others, but it isn't really the case, most pack will consist of an Alpha couple and their offspring. That would mean that Brady and Jules rule this pack as a couple and that Mason was either part of their couple, making them a threesome or he was a beta wolf. If they attack as normal werewolves, they will attack as a group by encircling us first; and by the way, they are about twelve. But if they work differently and by Brady arrogance I'm sure they are, they will probably challenge someone to fight. My guess is that Brady deliberately sent his letter to Damon to provoke him. As for Jules, she may react upon seeing her mate killed; we have to be ready for that." explained Athena.

"What about the others?" said Tyler.

"I am a strong and very old wolf as Loup; so I should be able to get them all under my command." replied the Shape-shifter.

Tyler didn't seem happy with her answer and she wondered why. But she didn't have time to ask as he started to shift.

"Get ready!" she warned before following Tyler in his transformation.

When the pack finally made its way to them; Loup was sitting patiently, growling lightly at Tyler.

She could smell Brady and Jules at the front of the pack. The whole pack was growling menacingly at them, but they stood their ground.

"Which one is my target?" asked Damon looking at the wolves.

Loup lifted her left paw and flapped it in the air. Her mate pointed out Brady and she nodded that it was the right wolf. She looked at Jules and for a while they gazed at each other, until she saw, swirling with the rage; recognition in her eyes and if she was not mistaking there was a little bit of fear. She was probably wondering how she hadn't been able to detect the wolf in Odelle. Furthermore, she seemed shock to see Caroline alive which wasn't a surprise; but Loup was very interested by the fact that Jules had still kept some of her focus without losing herself to her rage. Too bad she was to die tonight; she would have been a good ally.

Damon stepped forward getting closer to Brady and the wolf jumped to attack him, but the Vampire knew what he was doing. He had grabbed the wolf muzzle in one tight grip and didn't let go; tried to anyway as Brady was very strong.

The werewolf was able to push off Damon and lunged back to attack, but the vampire was quicker; and bent down tearing apart from the wolf body one of its back legs. Brady wailed out in pain.

"That's for Carol! How does it feel to get some of your own medicine?" he replied throwing the limp to Jules who howled and went to attack Damon.

But she was stopped not a mere second after moving by a crushing punch to her thorax thanks to Deena who held her down. Damon sneered at Jules and ran to the bleeding Brady and tore his head off throwing once more the piece to Jules.

"And that is what you get for threatening my mate!" raged out Damon at the She-wolf.

Jules tried to move, but Deena simply put more pressure on her body breaking more bones. Dee let her go for a second and just as fast snapped Jules neck, killing her.

The pack had closed rank upon the defeat of Brady and looked scared; all ears and tails low. Loup howled, showing her new leadership over them and they howled back accepting her as their new Alpha.

"Well… that was easy!" replied Stefan a little bit of surprise in his voice.

"Almost boring I'd say…" said Alaric. "What the…? NO TYLER!" screamed the professor as he realized that the young werewolf had taken his wolfsbane bomb and was running toward the pack.

Before the gang could do anything the bomb went off sending shards of silver and liquid wolfsbane everywhere. Deena pushed Alaric to the ground to protect him.

When they could finally see something, the whole pack was dead and bloodied with Tyler still in wolf form lying in the middle.

"Tyler!" yelled Caroline running to him. "He's… he's fine…" she exclaimed surprised.

And that's when they heard it, the last part of a chanting coming from Lucy who was putting her hands down. Caroline looked at the witch and gave her a teary, but bright smile.

Stefan sighed. "That was a close one."

"That was just stupid!" said Damon obviously angry by Tyler's action.

"Now is not the time!" replied Athena. "Stefan, take Lucy back to the Boarding house please, that was a demanding spell for her. Deena can you do the same for Tyler? Alaric, Damon and I will take care of this…"

"No problem hon!" said Dee smirking. She picked up the werewolf and ran back to the Boarding house with Stefan holding Lucy and Caroline.

…

At 3am, Tyler woke up with a startle and sat up. He looked around and sat Caroline siting on the side on the bed.

"What happened?" he asked, his memories still blurry.

He was slapped, hard.

"If you ever do something like this again, Tyler Lockwood, I will never forgive you. Do you hear me?" yelled Caroline at her boyfriend as she cried.

"Care, I'm so sorry…" he replied pulling her in his arms. "I was so angry with them; I couldn't control myself in that tiny moment… But I promise, I will try harder to control it. So, so sorry…"

She smiled and he kissed her.

The werewolves were gone; they would be able to take a break until the next wave…

…

It was 6:30am when his alarm rang all across the bedroom. He slammed it shut, got out of bed and went in the shower. He dressed up and went downstairs to a waiting warm breakfast set on the dining room table for him.

He sat down and started to eat as he checked the newspaper; obviously, just boring news in the town that was Mystic Fall. His phone vibrated in his back pocket and he pulled it out checking it.

:: _Wasn't sure if you were awake or not. I talked to Damon last night and he has found and taken care of the people responsible for Carol's death and the ones that were harassing Tyler. I'll give you more details later. Bye! Liz._ ::

He finished his plate quickly after reading her message, went outside in the backyard and dialled.

"_You shouldn't be calling me,_" reprimanded a female voice on the phone.

"Fine! Then I guess you don't want to know the bad news…"

__"_John…"_ There was a sigh. _"What happened?"_

"I told you werewolves wouldn't do any good. Their temper and recklessness always get the best of them. Making them come here with their personal vendetta got their whole pack killed yesterday. I'll call Liz later and see what else she has to tell me. Apparently, Damon called her after killing them."

__"_They couldn't have been that bad?"_

"I've learned by the side that they had taken hostage the sheriff's daughter, which was stupid. They barged in and didn't even take the time to learn about their enemies. One of them went on the school ground multiple times during the night before going in the middle of the day. I'm guessing that she went to talk to Odelle or Alaric. If I was able to keep up with them, it's obvious that the Salvatore and their crew were on to them too!"

__"_I must admit… looks like we will have to do something else about them. This is very frustrating. I was unable to find anything about Klaus or whatever happened a year ago. To make it worse, seems like all the Originals are dead. You have to talk to one of the brothers to learn what happened. We need more clues."_

"I'll do my best."

__"_Don't you always? I'll be closer next time. Not in Mystic Fall per say, but closer… Call me when there's anything new."_

"Of course." he said before hanging up.

He groaned; the week was going to be painfully long…

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** _Loved it? Hated it? Anything to say? Please review and let me know! xoxo Meye_

Translation:  
><strong><em>Je t'aime aussi<em>** - I love you too


	8. 6 Sleeping satellite

**Disclaimer:** This story is based on characters and situations from _The Vampire Diaries_ series created by _L. J. Smith_ and developed by _Kevin Williamson/CW Network_. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringements are intended. OCs are all mine, please ask before using them anywhere.

**Beta Reader:** The lovely _OnyxvanGem_

****A/N:**** _A new chapter! Thank you again for reading and I hope you enjoy the new chapter!_

* * *

><p><strong><strong><span>Sleeping satellite<span>****

_~ December 15__th__ 2011 ~_

Stefan and Damon where sitting quietly in a booth at the Mystic Grill. Not even a week had passed since the death of Jules and Brady's werewolf pack. The last two months had been very hard for Tyler and Caroline. Now there were all just hoping for a peaceful Christmas until the next wave.

Damon had been surprised by Tyler who had come to him the previous day to talk about mate, but most of all how he was dealing with his possessiveness toward Athena. For one of those rare times, the Vampire hadn't joked about the matter or laughed at Tyler; he had answered truthfully and had tried to help him as much as he could. The first thing he had suggested was to learn how to control his temper and reaction; his best example was when Tyler had activated the wolfsbane bomb. Damon had also been honest with the werewolf, and had admitted that he still had problems seeing Athena as a supernatural being who was in fact more powerful than him.

It had been a great discussion between the two men and whatever he wanted to admit it or not; Tyler was slowly seeing Damon and Athena as parental figure as their relation looked more like the one he had with Caroline.

Back at the Grill, this was a weird, but welcomed moment for both Salvatore men. It had been so long since they had just sat together and enjoyed themselves for the pleasure of it and not to fight or strategize. They were actually talking about the upcoming Holidays and what they would do to celebrate.

"Great…" growled out Damon sarcastically.

"What's wrong?" asked Stefan, curious at the change in his brother's demeanour.

"Here comes your father in law; so much for the tranquility of my mind," answered Damon in a low voice.

The youngest Salvatore turned his head just in time to see John Gilbert's arrival at their booth.

"Stefan, Damon." said the Gilbert patriarch as greetings.

"John, what a surprise to see you here… How can we help you?" asked Damon. To any outsider, he looked genially pleased to see the acting mayor, but to everyone else knowing him, the contempt for the Gilbert man was obvious in his eyes.

"Can I sit with you?" replied John, not at all alarmed by Damon.

Stefan stood up and went to sit beside his brother, leaving the empty spot for John. They stayed silent for a moment.

"Ask!" snapped Damon. "The fastest this goes, the fastest you'll be out of my sight."

"I mean no harm. But I needed to ask you something."

"Go on." pushed Stefan calmly. He was going to play, once more, the good cop, but he wasn't comfortable with John Gilbert either.

"I tried to talk to you before, but with everything that has happen, I was too busy. I've spoken with Liz, but let's face it, she was obviously clueless about what really went down in 2010 and I wanted to know if you could explain it to me."

"About a year and a half ago, a Vampire named Klaus came into town. We had learned that Elena was part of a spell to break the Curse of the Sun and the Moon." started Stefan.

"You mean the one that prevents werewolves from changing at their will and the Vampire from walking under the Sun?" confirmed John.

"Yes." said Damon. He found it highly annoying to see John knowing so much and yet, saying so little. That was one of the reasons he didn't like the man.

"Isobel told me about Klaus; my question is, how did you defeat him?"

"We didn't." replied Stefan.

"I-I'm sorry? But the rumours around the Vampire community are that the Originals were defeated."

"And they are true," said Damon.

"You officially lost me here!" exclaimed John.

"You are asking the wrong questions," answered Damon. "We didn't defeat the Originals. By the time that Klaus came to us, the Originals had been destroyed. The only one we ever came in contact with was named Elijah and we killed him."

"They cannot be that easily killed."

"Well apparently someone must have finished the job for us when we left. Point is; you are asking the wrong person about both the Original and Klaus." continued Damon.

"Are you telling me that none of you have any idea how they were all killed?" retorted John in shock.

"Pretty much, yes." concluded the younger brother.

"And you want me to believe that you had nothing to do with it?" asked John disbelieving.

"We didn't say we had nothing to do with it Gilbert!" snapped Damon. "We were pawns in a game that was played by both Klaus and the one who apparently defeated him. Our guess is that whoever killed him sacrificed his or her life in the process. Is this satisfying enough to your liking?"

"Well clearly having a child didn't change your rudeness…" said John, sighing.

"I could return the compliment by saying that you having one made you worse." said Damon wearing a huge and fake smiled on his lips.

If looks could kill, Stefan knew that Damon would have been dead in that precise moment. One thing was sure though, John had seen it coming by attacking Damon on his fatherly skills. His brother was an amazing father and ten times better than theirs.

Stefan laid a hand on his brother's arm, trying to calm him down. "Did you have any other questions John?"

"I wanted to thank you."

"For what?" asked Damon, eyebrows rising.

"Killing Katherine."

"We didn't kill her," replied Stefan. "She was killed, after Mister Leroux, in the tomb."

"Wait, you weren't the ones to break the seal?" retorted John.

"Lowering it the first time killed Sheila Bennett who was a powerful witch and it was the best prison for Katherine. We didn't want to risk Bonnie's life just to kill Katherine," said Stefan, a faint hint of outraged in his voice.

"So basically, someone strong enough to break Emily Bennett's seal killed Katherine?"

"Bingo!" answered Damon. He was getting bored and annoyed by the man's presence. "Before you keep on asking more, I'll make a clear _résumé_ for you; we didn't kill Katherine, the Originals or Klaus, but just like you are probably thinking right now, it seems like a very powerful witch or maybe even a coven killed them all. We presume they died in the process because it's a good deduction or simply because we haven't heard anything else about it. Now, did you want anything else?"

"I was hoping to see Jeremy and Elena for Christmas…"

Damon laughed out loud. "You're kidding right?"

"It's their choice, not yours Damon." replied John.

"We will give them your message," cut in Stefan before his brother could reply anything else. "We'll take our leave now. Have a good night, John."

The brothers stood up and Damon left without shaking John offered hand. There was no way in hell he would touch Jonathan Gilbert unless it was required of him.

…

They were about 10-15 minutes from the Boarding house. Stefan was driving slowly; he wasn't, but Damon thought so.

"So, what do you think this interrogation was about?" asked Stefan as he drove.

"I'm not really sure, which I hate. But Jonathan Gilbert is anything, but stupid. This was not mere curiosity of his part. Whatever he is planning with Isobel, because they are always planning together, we need to keep him as far away from the truth as possible. It's good we all agreed on what to say and what not to say. But we will have to make sure the gang avoids him as much as possible. About Christmas…?"

"Even if I don't like it; just to keep up the appearances, I could go with Elena, Jeremy and Bonnie. But I'll make sure they are okay with it."

"We'll see…"

"Do you think he was really thankful about Katherine's death?" asked Stefan, worried marring his face.

"I think he was happy to have another Vampire off this map, but I'm not quite sure about the fact that it was her. Katherine and Isobel have always been close, so even though John is happy about it, his third partner in crime must be very angry at whoever killed Katherine. I seriously think that he only wanted to know who was responsible for her death. And you can be sure I'll be the last one to tell him who did it."

"You're thinking about retribution from Isobel?" said Stefan, turning his head to his brother for confirmation.

"Maybe. But for Jonathan Gilbert to ask so many questions, it means that Isobel hasn't found anything about Centaurus, Cleatus, or the Sky Coven," answered Damon.

"It's kinda strange that there isn't anything about it…"

"Actually, Athena told me that it was because the Druids made sure to remove any traces. And also, because the Originals were too scared that anyone would find how they came to be and try to remove their powers, so they destroyed everything they could find. And let's face it; Cleatus was the only one aware of Centaurus; the documentation that we found had been put in place by him."

"It sounds weird, but I would have loved to know him better…"

"Who? Cleatus? Meh! Not sure I share your feelings on that one. But I guess that if Athena loved him that much, he must have had some secret qualities. I mean, he got a Bennett witch pregnant!"

"Really? Damon…" said Stefan, shaking his head disapprovingly.

The older Vampire smirked.

_~ January 1__st__ 2012 ~_

The big mahogany grandfather clock was ticking peacefully in the center of the wall facing the king-sized bed and on a closer look; one could see that it was one quarter passed two in the morning.

The only sound that could be heard in the bedroom, other than the clock was the soft moans coming out of the sleeping witch's mouth. Her body was glistering with perspiration as it kept moving under the covers.

"_Yesss…_" she groaned in her dream state.

"_That's it; take me all in Lucy… You feel amazing…" murmured her lover in her ears as he lifted his lower body up to plunge deeper into her tight channel._

"_Cleatus…" she moaned as she came for the third time._

_Her body went limp, before another moan escaped between her lips as she felt his semen inside her. So slowly, he pulled out of her, missing the warm wetness. He took her in his arm, bridal style and the world shifted around them, before a small waterfall appeared in front of them._

_Cleatus walked down into the water carefully and let her down afterward. They bathed together._

"_Happy new year…" said the Druid between kisses._

"_It is starting well so far… don't you think?" she replied, as she caressed his manhood._

"_Again? Really? Are you sure you are up to it?" he asked cockily._

"_It's been too long… I want you…"_

_He lifted her up and pushed her gently against a flat rock before entering her with one deep thrust. Their lovemaking was fast, but blissful. They came soon after starting and back to their intensive kissing session._

…

_Cleatus was playing with Deana in the wheat field. She could now walk, unsteadily, but still, she looked adorable. She was babbling happily to him and he couldn't help, but laugh._

"_She's just as worst as Rain. When they both start, you know you won't hear the end of it," said Lucy._

"_She is the cutest thing, with her curly blond piggy tails."_

_The witch smiled warmly at her lover, but then sighed as she saw him pick their daughter in his arms._

"_You know, you will have to tell me at one point…" she said as she caressed his arm before giving the same gently touch to her daughter's cheek._

"_I wanted to enjoy this moment to the fullest, but you are right…" he looked up and closed his eyes. "Sleep now my beautiful Deana…"_

_Their child disappeared from his arms as she went back to sleep, a tiny smile on her face. He put his hands on each side of Lucy's arms and squeezed them lightly._

"_You have maximum three weeks before the next wave hits. I don't know if it will be good or bad thought. I'm starting to have the strangest feelings. I don't like it. I want to help so much, but I can't." he replied, voice full of regrets._

"_It must be terrible to watch…"_

"_At least, I'm only seeing you and the gang. I'm banned from looking at anything else. So, I cannot say anything at all. It's frustrating, but I think that seeing more would destroy me."_

"_Is Klaus aware of anything?"_

"_No, he is kept in the dark. The Sky was very clear about those coming trials, no one can intervene and until they've passed, it won't do anything, but watch." replied Cleatus, frustration obvious in his voice._

"_It's okay… I know how much you hate this situation, but as you said, this is out of our control. We can't do anything, but fight and hope for the better," she said, hoping to reassure him._

"_I love you." he whispered and then brought down his lips to hers._

…

Lucy woke up around 10am, when she heard Deana's small cries. She stood up and went to pick her up, before going downstairs in the kitchen, where Athena was feeding Rain. Damon was cooking breakfast. They were the only ones who hadn't gone out the previous night to party. Zeus had used his powers to see if it was safe for the gang to go out, and it had been. They had gone into another town to celebrate and had slept in a hotel and would be back in the early evening today.

"Well good morning, witch!" said Damon not looking up from his task. "Please, sit down; I'm making something for the two ladies of the house!"

"Thank you Damon! And good morning to you too." She turned to Athena and Rain. "Hello there baby! Hi Athena, had a good night?"

"Always," She smiled before looking serious. "I guess Cleatus came to you last night… So… good or bad news?" asked the Shape-shifter to her friend.

"We only have about 2 to 3 weeks before the next wave of attack. I'm so sorry…"

"It's not your fault," replied Damon as he put a plate filled with food in front of her. "We should be thanking you and Cleatus for those warnings; at least we can get prepared or relax."

"He's right," confirmed Athena, putting her hand over Lucy's forearm. "You know I'm rubbish at seeing things clearly like Cleatus does and I'm sorry that you have to be the one to deliver those messages each time. I know it's hard. You don't have to take all this weight upon yourself over it."

"Thank you." said the witch. "Sometimes, I just feel like I need to share this guilt with Cleatus. It is so frustrating for him to be, well, useless."

"Well, I can fully understand him on that one, I would go crazy if I had so much power, but unable to use them. Now eat ladies!" ordered Damon playfully. "And you," he said gazing at Deana. "You are coming with me, so that I can install you and feed you!"

"Damon!" giggled the small baby girl happily, holding out her hands to the Vampire.

"No woman can resist me!"

Both Athena and Lucy laughed at his macho attics. As she kept glancing at Damon with her daughter, Lucy couldn't help but think about Cleatus and all that he was missing. It was in those kinds of moments that she wanted to cry again for the sacrifice the Druid had made to save them all.

"More, Damon!" said the toddler, her mouth wide open to receive more food.

"Now before I give you another spoon of this amazing food, you need to answer a question!"

"Really? Damon…" warned Lucy, trying not to laugh.

"Who is the prettiest woman?" he asked ignoring the witch.

"Athena!" replied the baby, like she was used to the question.

"Damon! How dare you!" said Athena offended, but still smiling. Her mate was incorrigible.

"Hey! Don't interrupt me. Now, who is the prettiest girl?"

"Meeee!" yelled Deana happily.

"You've got that right!" laughed the Vampire, giving a kiss on the baby's nose, before putting the spoon in her mouth.

"What are you teaching my daughter?" asked Lucy laughing.

"The essentials; look!" he replied gazing back at the girl. "Who are the most amazing persons in the world?"

"Mommy and Daddy!"

"And who's the cutest boy?"

"Rain!" chanted Deana.

Obviously, this was a very well known game for the toddler and the Vampire, and they both seemed to enjoy it very much. Rain gave his gorgeous signature smile and charming eyes to them.

"I can't decide between feelings insulted or think that this is probably your most adorable moment!" said Lucy.

"For once, I'll take the adorable, I don't feel like getting an aneurism or some sneaky witch mojo from you!" answered Damon.

They all broke down in laughers.

They spent the rest of the day playing with the toddlers and talking more about what Cleatus had said. Before they knew it, the rest of the gang was back at the Boarding house with crazy party stories and a top 10 'fail moments' of their night.

They had listened to everything during the supper before Damon had taken it upon himself to burst they happy bubble and tell them the bad news from Cleatus.

So much for a happy new year 2012…

_~ A week later ~_

Damon jogged behind his running son as he made his way to the playground. He was happy to be a Vampire; because his son was unbeatable when it came down to how much energy he had to spend without tiring. He put down their huge picnic basket on the ground along the way.

Rain started to climb the stairs, concentrating at the hard task of getting at top of the bright yellow structure. As soon as he was there, he touched everything around him. His favourite thing was three half spheres that made different sounds when you touched them. He went further into the module, but stopped when he got close to the swirling slide.

He turned hopeful eyes to his father and smiled.

"No need to use your charms on me little man!" laughed Damon at his son's attics.

He picked up the toddler and sat, holding him in a loose but secure embrace as he placed him on his thighs.

"Ready?" he asked.

Rain gave him a blinding smiled and Damon gave himself a little push and went down the slide with a screaming son. As soon as he put him down, Rain was running toward the stairs.

"_Encore papa_!" he said pointing at the top.

"As you wish!"

They slide a few more times, before Damon picked up his son and the basket and went to sit at a table, sitting his son on top of it. He pulled out the sunscreen and applied a very generous amount to his son's skin. When he was done, he closed the basket and put back Rain on the ground. As soon as he was down, he ran to a new game.

Rain was pointing up and Damon saw the monkey bars. "You are a little bit young for that, but we will do it together."

Damon made his best not to laugh as his son tried to understand the concept of the monkey bars. He held Rain by the hips as he slowly moved forward in hope that the baby would understand what to do, but instead of going one hand after the other on the bars, he simply put both hands to each bar.

Rain was having a blast with Damon as they both ran around, and then crawled in a series of tunnels before finally settling to play in the sandbox. The Vampire had to laugh to himself; who would have believed that Damon Salvatore would be sitting and playing with a toddler in a sandbox one day? Probably anyone but him, that's for sure!

Damon showed his son how to fill the plastic bucket with sand before turning it around to the ground and lifting it up to reveal a sand castle. Rain clapped his hand happily and proceeded to build three castles on his own, after multiple failed attempts. Damon looked at him as he stood up and went not too far away to pick up random items, coming back with them. He put small flowers around one castle, then grass around the other and finally a rock on top of the last. Rain kept patting his small creations and when he seemed satisfied, he giggled happily. Damon thought with a smile that his son was probably making a castle for his mommy, one for his daddy and one for himself.

The Vampire picked up his son and went to their basket. He walked to a nice big three, casting enough shadow to protect both of them and settled on a big tablecloth that he had lain on the grass. It was lunchtime.

…

After eating, Rain had slept for a good 30 minutes before waking up and demanding to play some more. Damon had pulled out a big beach balloon and had inflated it. It had been hilarious looking at Rain trying to pick up the giant sphere and failing a throwing it further than a meter away from him.

They had finished their day at the park with the swings. Seeing his son, hair in the wind, laughing and so carefree had reminded Damon how much he loved him, but above everything how deeply he wished for his family to grow.

He had gone to school with Rain to pick up Odelle and then had gone back to the Boarding house.

The whole gang had been there for dinner, including Lucy and her daughter. It had been decided that passed a certain hour, she would sleep at the Boarding house if she was there instead of taking the risk to go back home.

Damon had put his exhausted son to bed around 8pm and had gone back to the living room to relax with the members of the gang still present.

…

It was around midnight when Damon entered his bedroom. Athena had gone up about two hours earlier and was sleeping peacefully in the middle of the bed; only a simple cream sheet was covering her body with the rest of the bedclothes covering her knees and down below.

The Vampire undressed and took a quick shower before slipping under the cream bed sheet. He got closer to his mate and lied on his side as he watched her sleeping.

He looked down at the sheet covering Athena's flat belly and caressed it lovingly. If he was honest with himself, he had to admit that even though he loved her gorgeous body, she had never been as beautiful as when she had been pregnant. He missed it.

"What are you thinking about?" whispered Athena; bringing him out of his reveries.

"Our family…" he replied just as low; gazing at her.

"What of it?" she pressed on.

"I'd love to have more children…" he murmured in a voice that almost sounded like a question.

The Shape-shifter put her hand over Damon's and squeezed it affectionately. "I'd like that too when this is over…"

He bent down and kissed her deeply, enjoying the taste of her mouth. He lifted the sheet and got closer to her, putting their bare body one against the other. He turned them around so that he was lying on top of her as they gazed at each other.

Athena smiled at him as she caressed the small of his back with one hand and the side of his neck with the other. She spread her legs open to accommodate him.

"Thank you…" said the Vampire. Athena was about to replied, but he laid a finger on her mouth stopping her. "Thank you for being… everything. I don't thank you enough and I love you so much. Athena, when you came into my life two years ago, I was so lost. And I was just so blinded by the things around me; that I couldn't even comprehend how I was making history repeating itself by going after Elena. All my life I hated being second to my brother in both my father's and Katherine's eyes and yet, I was putting myself through that same misery again… I was willing to risk everything, even my rocky relation with Stefan to get Elena… It was refreshing to have Odelle around and Sapphire too. And slowly, so slowly you were able to take that place in my heart without me noticing it. From day one, you never asked me to change or to return your affection; the only thing you asked of me was respect. I've been so used to try living up to everyone's expectations of me… You've given me so much Athena: hope, love, a family, acceptance, respect…" he stopped.

"Hey… It's okay; I know how difficult it is for you to talk about this. You don't have to."

"And that is why I do it Athena, because I don't have to with you, but you deserve it. I love you Athena, more than I've ever loved anyone else and I really wanted you to know that I was, still am, thankful for you being with me, for choosing me."

"Always you Damon…" she replied caressing his cheek.

He turned his face to the side and kissed her hand; nipping at her palm without breaking the skin.

"I love you my Damon…" she said as she brought back his lips to hers.

She gasped when she felt the tip of her mate's erection teasing her entrance and then, bit her lips, swallowing her scream, when he entered her.

"Sex fiend!" she growled sexily to him.

"I can stop if you want…?" replied the Vampire as he made rotation with his pelvis.

"Don't you dare!" she moaned.

"Now who's the sex fiend?" he asked cockily.

"Damon… shut up and fuck me!" she groaned, putting her legs around the small of his back, pulling him deeper inside of her.

"My pleasure…"

_~ January 16__th__ 2012 ~_

Damon came down the stairs slowly. He could hear most of the gang in the living room. Only Lucy, Deana, Jeremy, Tyler, and Caroline were missing. The pup and his Blondie were hanging out in their room; doing things that Damon didn't want to know about; and Jeremy was doing homework in his bedroom, while Lucy was back at her home with her daughter.

Since Cleatus second warning, nothing had happened, but the gang was fully on their guards, waiting for the impending attack. Sometimes he wished he could just run away with his little family, but he knew deep down inside, that by doing that he would be putting his friends to death. Worst get his family killed. Lucy had been clear about the fact that coming to Mystic Fall would protect her; staying together was not just an option; it was the best option for their survival.

When he entered the living room, the gang was siting close to the fireplace. He saw Odelle in his favourite armchair and went to her. He took her hand and pulled her up, before taking her place and pulling her down to sit on him. He let his arms encircling her waist and brought her closer to his chest. He gave her a kiss at the nape of her neck.

Odelle turned her head to him. "He wasn't too difficult?"

"You know him… gave me his puppy eyes on our way there and first thing I knew, he was fast asleep in my arms as soon as I entered the bedroom. He was close to snoring when I put him to bed; imagine that, our son, snoring! Unbelievable!" replied the Vampire smiling.

"I hate feeling like this…" started Deena out of the blue. "It was like that the last time too, like something dreadful was palpable in the air. It's so close…"

"I never thought I would said this, but I think you've just beaten my brother with the '_How to break a mood 101_' Manual." replied Damon, irritated.

Odelle gave him a peck on the lips and stood up. "Well I'm off to take a shower and I have so much work to do tomorrow. Bye guys!" She turned fully to Damon and bent down to kiss him deeply. "See you later."

The Vampire gave a small growled, loving her taste in his mouth. He had too much pride to follow right away, so he would wait ten minutes before running up in hope to catch her in the shower.

She was about to take the stairs when she felt it; it was like something had been slammed into her throat, threatening to get out. She snapped her head to the side and looked at the front door worriedly. She was starting to think, that her and opening doors were a very bad combination. Her heart was hammering in her chest as she tried to calm her breathing.

It was so close. She could almost taste it around her. So close…

"What the h…" she started to murmur, but was startled when something or someone knocked four times. "I got it!" she yelled.

As she approached slowly toward the door, she could feel her palms starting to sweat. She took a deep breathed and exhaled a shaky breath before holding out her right trembling hand to the doorknob.

Odelle finally opened the door and was shocked to see Rose standing there.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** _I just wanna say sorry! I haven't been online a lot lately as RL has been taking 95% of my time... I really hope you enjoy this chapter and the tiny cliff. Please review! xoxo ~ Meye_

Translation:  
><strong><em>Encore papa<em>** - Again daddy


	9. 7 When you say my name

**Disclaimer:** This story is based on characters and situations from _The Vampire Diaries_ series created by _L. J. Smith_ and developed by _Kevin Williamson/CW Network_. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringements are intended. OCs are all mine, please ask before using them anywhere.

**Beta Reader:** The lovely _OnyxvanGem (I've missed you girl)_

**A/N:** _A new chapter! Thank you again for reading and staying with me... I haven't been able to come online most of the summer, due to work and VERY bad connection..._

_In this chapter, there is actually "Supernatural" moment... Just me showing my love for the show and cracking a joke at my beta reader!_

* * *

><p><strong>When you say my name<strong>

_Odelle finally opened the door and was shocked to see Rose standing there._

"What are you doing here?" exclaimed Odelle, before she felt Damon coming behind her.

"Rose?" said Damon, just as surprised as his mate.

"Do we know each other?" asked Rose to Odelle.

"No, but I've heard about you. You are not welcome here!" replied Odelle, voice full of venom.

Damon was startled by Athena's animosity toward the Vampire; what had happened that he had missed again? He heard his brother first, then the rest of the gang joining them at the entrance.

"You do realized that I knocked because I was being polite?" asked Rose, not liking at all the human tone with her.

"Really? I'd love to see you try coming in!" she challenged. She laughed when Rose pushed forward, but was knocked backward by the invisible barrier. "Well look at that!" replied Odelle obviously savouring the moment.

"Odelle, don't provoke her." said Damon putting a calm hand in the small of her back. "I'm curious to know why she came back?"

"What? She tried to offer Elena to Elijah and you think she deserved to be heard?" asked Bonnie incredulously. "Are you out of your mind?"

"Lets hear it!" said Elena.

"Can I come in?" asked Rose nicely.

"No!" cut in Odelle. "You don't need to be inside to explain yourself."

"What is your problem?" replied Rose.

"You are Rosemary." said Deena, finally showing herself. She came to stand beside Odelle. "And before you say something, I'm older then you, meaning that I could take you down in mere seconds. You are not the oldest anymore, so don't try anything with me. Klaus was destroyed through us, don't think I will feel bad for killing you too."

"I didn't come here to fight," replied Rose, holding her hands in surrender. "The rumours are already flying that Klaus was killed, but something else is coming. It's palpable in the air, you know me; I'll go to the safest place. My best chance to survive is with you and one more vampire on your side could help."

"She does have a point," said Stefan. "But how can we trust you when you left without much, but a few words the last time?"

"I was told to leave." she replied simply. "Was it you?" she asked turning to the petite vampire.

"No, but I could do it right now if you'd like!" replied a sneering Dee.

"Dee! Calm down, all of you!" said Damon, reproachfully. "Stefan is right, last time we almost lost both Caroline and Tyler, we cannot refuse help."

"I'm sorry?" asked an insulted Odelle.

"Odelle…" said Damon, voice pleading.

"It's her or me Damon. This is not up for discussion."

"Are you ordering me around?" said Damon, voice rising.

"She cannot be trusted and you want to give her the benefice of doubts? Since when have you been so careless?"

"I want to protect you, all of you, but we cannot do this without help, you know it!"

Athena was fuming. How dare the female Vampire to come back in Mystic Fall after she had told her to stay away. Rose would never dare to challenge someone more powerful than herself. This was too suspicious, Rose was a survivor; either way she was telling the truth or she had another plan. Whatever it was, she wouldn't stay at the boarding house with Rose around. She would have been happy to make the vampire suffer, but she had to protect her son and warned Lucy about it too.

"Come in Rose." said Elena.

Everyone gasped and turned toward Elena. More than half the group were fuming at Elena for taking that decision.

"That's it, I'm out of here!" said Odelle marching upstairs.

Rose entered, smiling at Elena before thanking her. They heard a door slammed and Damon sprinted upstairs.

He opened his bedroom door and closed it behind him. He went into his son's small nursery room and saw Odelle dressing up a still sleeping Rain as fast as she could.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"It's obvious isn't it? Damon, she cannot be trusted and Elena dared to let her in before asking for anyone else opinion!"

"You did the same about not letting her in!"

"That was protecting the people I cared about."

She took Rain and put him back in his cot before going into the bathroom and opened the shower. She turned back to Damon who was standing behind her.

"Athena…"

"Don't! You don't get it do you?" she said yelling at him. "Our son Damon; our son is the most precious thing for any vampire and she let her in! If she hadn't, Stefan or even you would probably have let her in. If you think I will let my baby boy live in the same house as her, you are clearly out of your mind!"

"Where you the one who threaten her, back then?"

"Yes. And she shouldn't have come back Damon. I told her to never come back. That is the reason she can't be trusted! Why are you so trusting of her?"

"Because she would probably still be here helping us if you hadn't told her to leave."

"So now, it's my fault?" snapped his mate back at him.

"That's not what I meant. We need all the help we can get, especially with John Gilbert breathing down our neck."

"Fine. While you entertain your new guest, I will be back at my house making sure my son is safe."

"Athena don't do this!" he replied blocking her path.

"Get out of my way Damon!"

"I will not let you talk to me over your obvious jealousy toward Rose."

She slapped him, hard, eyes tearing up.

"How dare you telling me that? I never used your jealousy toward Alaric like that against you. Of course I am jealous and possessive of you, Damon. She wants you and you think I want to live around her? I'm out of here and don't bother following me," she snarled at him, before taking Rain in her arms and walking back downstairs.

Damon couldn't move; he was shell-shocked. How had it turned out so bad? Tears ran down his face as he lifted a hand to the cheek she had slapped.

Odelle completely ignored Rose as she passed by her to reach Dee.

"Can you bring me home please?" she asked controlling her voice from trembling.

"Of course hon!" She saw Rose smirking in the corner of her eyes and reacted on pure instinct; she pinned the vampire to the nearest wall growling at her. "Don't push your luck Rosemary. You officially have one enemy in this house. You better watch you back, cause at the first doubt that you are trying to betray us, I will torture you to death!"

She let go of the shaking vampire. She took Odelle in her arms bridal style, making sure not to hurt Rain in the process and ran out.

"I'm sorry, I didn't meant…" she was cut off went she was once again pinned to the wall by an enraged Damon.

"Don't make me regret this decision Rose. I swear; if the rift you've cause between me and her was for nothing, I will rip your heart out."

"Damon, are you okay?" asked a concerned Elena.

"Don't talk to me Elena, not now…" he said before going back to his room, slamming the door.

"I'm so sorry…"

"It's okay Rose," said Stefan trying to be nice. "Come, I'll show you to your room."

…

"Are you going to be alright?" asked Dee as she let Odelle down on her feet.

"I don't have a choice. I'll leave Rain with Lucy. I don't want him to see me like this."

"You know Damon wasn't trying to side with her."

"I know, but I can't Deena. I cannot accept that he tried to defend her over me, Rosemary of all people. That little bitch, she is up to something and I will find it."

"I'll keep and eye on her."

They walked slowly to Lucy's house and rang the doorbell. Lucy opened the door surprised to see them both. They went in and explained to Lucy what had happened. Lucy had heard about Rosemary as the traitor who had lost Katherine while under her watch for the Originals. She understood where Athena stood and her fear for Rain.

"Athena, I'm sure Damon is just as scared as you are. He's just trying to protect you. He just gets careless and tends to forget important things when he's protecting the people he loves. Don't be too harsh on him. Like a day or two and then forgive him!"

That made the Shape-shifter smile. "Lucy, would you mind taking care of Rain tonight and tomorrow during the day?"

"It's my pleasure."

"Thank you."

They left the house, leaving Rain in Lucy's care. Odelle went back inside her home. She took a quick shower and changed. All the while, Dee was sitting on the porch. She heard her friends going to bed. She stayed there another five minutes and decided to leave. She was about to step down the porch when Sapphire appeared beside her.

"Damn it!" she exclaimed startled by her friend. "Don't scare me like that!"

"Sorry! Just wanted to thank you. I'm going to let off some steam for a while. I'll see you tomorrow, I guess."

"Do you want some company?"

"Deena, you won't enjoy it and you know it," replied Sapphire seriously.

"Yeah… You're right. But please be careful?"

"Always." she said running off.

…

Damon was pacing in his room. Earlier, he had been angry with Athena, but upon calming down, he had realized that her maternal and territorial instinct had kicked in. After everything that had happened with Brady, he was ashamed of missing the obvious signs. Too often did he forget that she wasn't human and that her 'animalistic' side was just as ferocious as his. He was still angry now, but it had shifted to Rose and Elena. He had to blame someone and those two were his targets of choice.

He also realized that having Rose around meant less Athena around. He did love all of Athena's forms, well except for Zeus, who was a man and reminded him too much of Cleatus; but Athena was the one he had fell in love with. Being back at her house meant that she would have to play the Odelle part almost 24/7; Rose being here had stolen the freedom she had had at the Boarding house. And it was the same for their son; he would have to permanently wear his little bracelet that prevented him from shifting, which Rain hated.

The thought of his pouting son made him smile. He sighed, knowing that he would have to make amends with Athena, but also with Bonnie. He needed the witch to seal his bedroom and would suggest her to do the same to everyone's room. That would at least stop Rose from going anywhere she wanted inside the house.

Someone knocked at his door. He opened it.

"Ric." he stated, his tone between boredom and irritation.

"Can I talk to you?" the professor asked calmly.

Damon looked at him, trying to size him up; he didn't want to get yelled at a second time, especially not by Alaric. But he seemed pretty calm, so Damon let him in. He locked the door behind the teacher and showed him to Rain room, which was soundproof against vampires and werewolves. They both sat in the armchairs silently.

"I'm not here to argue with you Damon, but since I'm the only adult in the house who can speak with you without raising his voice and have the courage to talk to you, well here I am."

"Pff!"

"Really Damon, I know you hate talking about yourself, I've learned that quite clearly over the years, but I'm going to do so with you anyway. Cause, seriously, you need someone right now."

"I'm listening."

"I have to admit that having one more person on our side will probably help, but I think we all tend to forget that it is more important to protect our permanent allies then the temporary ones. I'm not blaming you for letting Rose in; and don't worry; Elena got her share of yelling from Tyler, Deena and I. Bonnie, Caroline and Jeremy just ignored her." he gave a small laugh. "But I'm blaming you for giving Athena doubts about your loyalty to her and your son. I know you just wanted more protection for them, but Rose isn't much help. Deena and Athena are older than her, which means that they know a lot more too. She tried to bargain information when you were up here with Athena, but Deena was one step ahead and told her that if the informant she was referring to was Slater, that we had already come in contact with him. Also, let's face it; I don't trust Rose at all."

"I wanted to ask Bonnie to ward our bedrooms tomorrow."

"Great idea! Talking about Bonnie, one more thing to make me suspicious, apparently her lie detector is going wonky when Rose is talking. She said that one minute she would feel like she's lying, then the next, she's telling the truth; and for the same sentence." he glanced at Damon who looked dejected and sighed. "You know she will forgive you, right? She probably already has, but just wants to make you think about it, or maybe suffer a little bit. She loves you Damon, a small bump on the road won't change that."

"Mm… You're probably right. If Bonnie accepts to put the ward, I'll try to talk with Athena tomorrow. Thanks, I guess Rick!"

"Don't mention it," he said before leaving.

…

She had run to the first big city near Mystic Fall. I would be easier to find prays in here. She stood in a dark alley, reading people's thoughts as she played with the protection ring on her finger. As a vampire, Sapphire knew that it wouldn't make any difference, but she needed it for her game.

Finally, she caught one specific thought. The bastard! How lucky for her to catch one like him. She walked up to the man in the street and asked for help innocently. The man was too happy to help. As soon as he was in the alley with her, she turned to him.

_[You will not scream for help. You will let me take you to the nearest forest.]_

The man nodded. She could see the panic in his eyes, what a magnificent sight it was.

When they reach the wood, she let him down.

_[As soon as I tell you to do so, you will run for your life and try to defend yourself. You will not remove the ring I'm about to put on your finger. I will kill you tonight and more than once over the night. I will make you suffer for all the murders you've committed. Each time you wake up, you will try again to run away. This is my game, until I get bored and I kill you for real. Now… RUN!]_

He was so scared and he ran as fast as he could. But she caught up with him in a blink of an eye.

The first time, she snapped his neck. Second one, she drank him dry, but it took too long for him to come back to life. By the tenth time, she was bored, so she removed the ring and put it back on her finger before dismembering him slowly. She had no pity for a rapist and serial killer. That's when she heard them, two baby vampires coming her way.

When she was able to hear their thoughts, she sneered; they wanted to play with her before killing her; imbeciles. They were brothers and had a close relationship; she would be ruthless with them. She ran to the first one, taking them by surprise. She pushed far away the one to her right, grabbing the other by the neck.

_[Don't move from this spot.]_

"Why can't I move?" asked the panicking blond. "What did you do to me?"

"Because, I'm an Original, I am much stronger than you and I can control you. You chose the wrong vampire to hunt and you will both die for it."

His brother tried and failed to bring her down; she put him under the same order. They reminded her so much of Damon and Stefan, but the second brother had dark blond hair instead of jet black. She thought about the worst thing she could do to them and Katherine came to her mind. She graded the dark blond one.

_[You will fight to death with you brother.]_

"No, please, not that," begged both brothers.

She gave the same order to the light blond one and released them. She was basking in their misery as they cried and tried frivolously to resist her command. It took about 30 minutes before the light blond one finally had the upper hand and tore out his brother heart who fell to the ground.

"Sammy!" cried out the remaining vampire. "Why didn't you just kill us?" he asked the female vampire.

"It would have been too easy. You were going to torture me before killing me anyway. Why should I have shown you any compassion, tell me?"

She turned his face to hers. _[You will stay here. You won't move until you die from sunrise. I'll be nice and let you hold your brother.]_

"I want you to know, if you hadn't had those intentions toward me, I would have spared both your lives, but you didn't. You are getting what you deserve. But for your loss, I am sorry. But I could have forced you to stay alive, so take your death as mercy. Goodbye." And she ran away, back to Mystic Fall.

The sun would rise in an hour. They had both looked for trouble by seeking her when she was angry, but she couldn't feel remorse at this very moment, just a little bit of sadness.

On her way back, she burned her clothes and shifted to air for the rest of the ride. Once she was home, she took a hot shower and went into the living room, sitting on the loveseat and watched the sun rise.

…

Jeremy was on his way to his last class of the day. It was frustrating to be the only one still going to school. The only good thing about it was that he would be with his friends in College. Well, that was as long as he could be able to go through with his senior year.

When he made it to class, it was already half full. He looked at Odelle and was pained to see how exhausted she looked. He felt bad for both Damon and Athena. They were taking their separation hard and his teacher seemed to be on the verge of fainting.

Even though, she did everything she could to make her class as fun as usual, it was obvious, with her half smiles and dark circles under her eyes that she wanted to be somewhere else.

When the bell finally rang, he saw his teacher sighing, obviously relieved. He waited for everyone to be gone and went to her desk.

"Are you going to be alright?"

"I should be the one asking you the question. You are the one living with Rosemary under your roof." she replied smiling.

"I guess, but Damon asked Bonnie to put wards on each room to prevent Rose from entering them."

"Good, that's more like him."

…

Odelle had been trying to make her son laugh for the last thirty minutes. She had gone into the living room and pulled out some toys to play with Rain. But he was still pouting over his inability to shift with his mommy. That had been his favourite game over the last months and the fact that she was shifted as Odelle frustrated him even more. Worst he had asked for his daddy earlier, which made her heart ached.

She felt the shift in the air and smiled.

"You don't have to knock," she said out loud.

The door opened slowly and closed before being locked. As soon as Damon was visible in the living room, Rain squealed happily and ran to him, well tried to anyway.

"Da! Da! Da! Da!" he chanted happily.

When he was at arms reach, Damon swirled him around smiling at him, making his son giggle.

"Hey there my little man! Did you miss me?"

Rain answered by making kissing noises and Damon laughed before giving his son what he had asked for. He looked at Odelle and saw the same thing he was feeling in her eyes, regret.

"I'm sorry," they said together before smiling at each other.

"Damon, I shouldn't have reacted so strongly against you. It was Elena's mistake to let her in and I should have told you before about Rosemary, but I seriously never thought about her again after sending her away." the Shape-shifter said getting closer to Damon.

"I would have reacted the same way if it had been me, you know it. But I should have known that you wouldn't be so hostile with her without a reason. And I'm really sorry about the jealousy part, it was uncalled for." he said voice full of concerned, but the subject was clearly making him uncomfortable.

"All's forgiven?" she asked hopefully.

"Yeah." he replied, pulling her to him and kissing her languorously.

They felt small wet hands patting their cheek. "_Papa_! Mama!" said Rain bouncing in his father arm.

"Somebody is obvious happy to see us together." replied Odelle laughing.

…

They entered her bedroom after putting their sleeping son to bed. Rain had refused to sleep until 10:30pm and had fought sleep until the last second. Odelle went to the window and made sure it was locked before closing the blackout curtains. As soon as it was done, she shifted back into herself and felt Damon pulling her back against his chest, his arms around her waist.

"I've missed you…" he murmured, his nose glued to her neck, inhaling deeply. "That scent of yours… I know it's only been a day, but knowing I couldn't touch you was driving me mad."

She turned in his arms and looked up at him. "Missed you too, go ahead…" she said offering her neck.

So slowly, his face changed, he nipped at her neck where the vein pumped hard and finally bit as gently as he could. He moaned at the first touch of her blood against his tongue, closing his eyes. He kept drinking until he felt like he was about to pass out. He licked the wounds and saw them close. They undressed, taking their time as if they were seeing each other for the first time. They went to bed under the covers, Athena fully draped over Damon who held her tightly.

"I love you…" she whispered.

He gave her a kiss on the forehead. "Love you too my Athena."

She soon fell asleep, but Damon didn't join her until the next hour; he was just glad to be back at home with his son and his…

He felt a sudden flare of possessiveness toward the Shape-shifter. When this whole mess was over, he would ask her to marry him. Saying that she was his girlfriend and the mother of his child wasn't enough anymore; we wanted more. Other supernatural beings could smell his scent all over her and knew right on the spot that she was his mate, just like he was hers, but showing everyone else that she was his would be amazing. He had to face it; he wanted to rub it in everyone's face that he was very proud of having her in his life.

But for now, he would put it aside and make sure not to think about it when Athena was in her Vampire form. He glanced down at her for a last time and closed his eyes, letting sleep claim him.

_~ 2 weeks later – January 31__st__ 2012~_

Deena, Alaric, Lucy, Damon and Odelle were all sitting in the witch's living room. They talked as both Rain and Deana played on the floor.

"Except trying to get close to my daughter, she hasn't done anything suspicious." said Lucy.

"We have to know for sure. After Jules and her crew, all we need is a vampire squad attacking Mystic Fall," sighed Alaric.

"We could use the Masquerade Ball to our advantage." suggested Dee.

"I agree." seconded Odelle. "If I was to be sick and had to stay behind. I could go to the ball as Sapphire. First, I'll be able to read her mind and two; I'll scare the crap out of her. That girl and I are going to have a discussion about what it means to me when you don't follow an order."

"We need someone at the boarding house," said Damon.

"What for?" asked Dee.

"In case it turns out that Rose isn't on our side. Actually, we need Bonnie or Lucy there, but with some protection." answered Damon.

"That could be difficult. If we are too split out, Rose could figure out that something was going on." pointed out Lucy. "This is what I suggest; I'll stay behind at Odelle's house, taking care of her and the kids. Sapphire will go to the Masquerade and if something happens, you call me and I will do the spell to annul her invitation. I will only need something of hers. I don't need to be at the Boarding house to revoke it."

"And if she's against us…" started Alaric.

"We kill her." finished Damon. "No one messes with my girl." he winked at Odelle who blushed. "Also, we don't need another John Gilbert around. About him, we need to know ASAP what he is up to. I don't think he would have killed Mrs Lockwood, but the werewolves, I wouldn't pass it by him."

"About Rose, where is she?" asked Lucy.

"Stefan called me from the Lockwood mansion to tell me that she had left this afternoon, saying that she was meeting a friend for more information." answered Damon.

"Whatever happens, we need to be on our guards until we can get some kind of divine message that this is over. I'll go with Deena to the Lockwood mansion and tell the guys about the plan we came up with. Anyway they need help with the decoration. Then I guess it will be shopping time tomorrow," sighed Alaric.

They all nodded.

Dee and Rick left for the mansion, while Damon and Odelle went back to her home with their son, wishing a good night to both girls.

…

There were only a few minutes left to wait until her call. She was sitting patiently in a booth in a restaurant far from Mystic Fall. It had taken her about two hours to run here.

She still couldn't believe how things had changed over the time she had been absent. She was still frightened to be caught by whoever had told her to run away and never to come back. This was a dangerous game she was playing, but she wanted to be free once and for all, this was the only way.

Though, the biggest downside had been the sore welcoming she had gotten upon her arrival. She had known how to deal with most of the gang, at least Damon, Stefan and Elena, but she was still surprised by how big the gang was now. Four Vampires, four humans, two witches and a werewolf, of all the allies they could have found, this one was the most surprising. But to Tyler, everyone in the gang was part of his pack. They had defeated a whole wolf's pack not too long ago, which had been responsible for Tyler's mom death.

She had caught a glimpse of a discussion once, but there had been too much noise to understand the full conversation. But from what she had understood, Tyler had an Alpha somewhere, that came to him each full moon, she wouldn't risk her life to see who it was; she didn't want to die. So basically, that meant that the gang had two werewolves on their side.

There were other things still unsettling her though. First off, Odelle St-Amand; the French teacher was a mystery to her. She had wondered why she had been so hostile to her, until she had seen the baby in her arms; she was protecting her child. That was the second thing, which was the father of both Odelle and Lucy's child. Everybody in Mystic Fall thought that Damon was with Odelle and that the child was theirs. The first part was true, obviously, but it was impossible for a Vampire to have a child and people had seen the teacher pregnant, so who was the real father? The older Bennett was just as worst as Odelle, both women refused to be at the Boarding house when she was around and Lucy had made it quite clear that she was to stay away from the children, those aneurisms were very painful. And since Damon and Odelle had reconciled, it had been hard to approach him; he would always be polite, but his tone was curt and sometimes close to glacial with her.

Her phone rang.

"Hi." she said calmly.

"_What did you find?"_ asked a female voice.

"The French teacher is with…" she started.

"_I already know this. Tell me something I don't."_ cut the voice sharply.

"Deena, the small girl, she is a vampire and is going out with Alaric."

"_A Vampire, really? Interesting, but I was told that she wasn't wearing a ring."_

"She isn't, but she is wearing a few Lapis Lazuli bracelets, at least three. I can also confirm that there is another werewolf, older and more powerful than Tyler, helping, but I don't know who he or she is."

"_Is the baby girl a witch?"_

"I can't tell. I tried once to get close to her and her mom went ballistic on me. It would be too risky to try again."

"_Is that it?"_

"They have already found Slater."

"_Well, I'm not happy about that, but now we know why we can't find him."_

"Should I go to the Masquerade Ball?"

"_Yes. John will be busy. I need to find out who is the Alpha. The more we know, the easier it will be; we are not taking any chances."_

"Okay."

"_I will expect your call in four days; after the ball."_ said the voice before hanging up.

She sighed and left, running back to Mystic Fall.

…

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><p><strong>AN:** _ So who's Rose working for? And what does John have anything to do with this? Reviews are always appreciated! xoxo ~ Meye_

Translation:  
><em><strong>Papa<strong>_ - Daddy


	10. 8 Devil wouldn't recognize you

**Disclaimer:** This story is based on characters and situations from _The Vampire Diaries_ series created by _L. J. Smith_ and developed by _Kevin Williamson/CW Network_. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringements are intended. OCs are all mine, please ask before using them anywhere.

**Beta Reader:** The lovely _OnyxvanGem_

**A/N:** _A new chapter! (Sorry for being so late... life has been crazy these passed months... I'll stop my babbling and let you continue with the story!_

* * *

><p><strong>Devil wouldn't recognize you<strong>

_~ Friday, February 3__rd__ 2012 ~_

Everything was going according to plan. Athena had played the sick girl for the last days and had officially cancelled her presence at the Masquerade. But to avoid any suspicions, she had watched the Parade with the gang; Damon holding Rain in one arm while the other lay on her hips.

When the girls had gone shopping, Dee and Caroline had suggested that they all wore the same dress and go with a black and white theme.

The girls wore a simple white one-shoulder dress, with a sweetheart neckline. It was slim fit and about mid-thigh length. The guys all wore a black suite, black shirt and black silk tie. They had decided to wear similar gold and silver detail Venetian masks.

Everyone, except for Damon, Athena and Lucy, where back at the Boarding House, putting on their final touches to their looks.

…

With the curtains closed, Athena could enjoy being herself on her bed as she watched Damon getting ready.

"Why won't you show me what you will wear?" asked the Vampire, annoyed.

"Because… it is a surprise! You will love it, I promise!" she replied, a flirty smile dancing on her lips.

"You do realize that I can't touch you or people might think that I'm cheating on… well… you!"

"You'll have to resist me then! I promise if you ask nicely, I will dance with you. Should I say hi to John?" she asked before laughing.

"No. I'm always the first to annoy him, but since we don't know what he's playing at… I've learned my lesson with that man and we should wait and see." he put the mask in place and turned back to her. "So? Gorgeous, right?"

"Meh! It's okay, I guess." she said, her face serious.

His left eyebrow rose and he looked at her incredulously. She stood up and went to him. She brought him down a little, her mouth close to his ear.

"Damon…" she whispered. "Whatever you wear, you're always breathtaking to me."

He smiled at her. The bell rang, she shifted into Odelle and they went downstairs and opened the door to see Lucy with Deana in her arm and holding hands with Rain.

"Shouldn't you be in bed?" asked Lucy to Odelle. They were holding the roles in case someone was watching.

"Mama!" said Rain happily. He looked at Damon and frowned.

"Really? Young man you can't recognize me with a mask on?" replied Damon, laughing.

"_Papa_!" squealed the boy, holding out his little hands to his father happily.

Damon took him and gave his son a kiss on his cheek before giving him back to Odelle. "Well I'm off ladies and gentleman!"

"Be careful!" said Lucy.

"Aren't I always?"

"No!" both women replied at the same time.

Damon held his hands in defeat, but laughed nonetheless. He kissed his mate and left in his car. Lucy and Odelle looked at each other and nodded; they knew they had to get everything ready before Odelle left for bed.

It took about twenty minutes to get everything done; both babies had fallen asleep in the play yard in the corner of the kitchen. It had been easy to steal Rose's comb and put a replica in its place. Since they wanted to make the spell as strong as possible, Stefan had taken a picture of Rose without her knowledge. She had already burned both items and would use the ashes for the spell.

"I'm off to bed," said Odelle. "Thank you again for doing this. We should put both of them in Rain's nursery before I get to bed."

…

So far, the Masquerade had been quite uneventful. The gang was mingling with the crowd playing their part. The only suspicious thing Rose had done so far had been to try getting Damon alone in a room. He had refused to follow her. She had obviously been hurt by his lack of trust. But, he had replied, that being younger than her, he was powerless against her, and would never be found alone with her. It hadn't taken more than a few seconds before Alaric and Deena had joined them. The older vampire presence had unsettled Rose, but she had kept talking with them.

Damon still had a hard time believing that John Gilbert was the acting mayor of Mystic Fall. The man had kept a low profile, which meant he was preparing something. The only time they had talked had been about Klaus, since then, John avoided Damon and Stefan as much as he could.

…

Stefan was standing alone, looking around while he drank from his glass of champagne. He had let the rest of the gang go to have fun earlier, but he kept a watchful eye on them, just in case. He was about to walk to Elena when he saw her. She was obviously standing there on purpose, knowing that only he could see her. He smiled to himself; he knew very well what game she was playing. He went to her.

"Good evening Milady. May I have this dance?" he asked nicely; remembering the words he had used so long ago to ask her the same thing.

She smiled devilishly. "It will be my honour."

They started to dance.

"You know Damon will go crazy once he sees us… well you anyway?"

"Probably, but I always wanted him to interrupt us dancing. It will be a dream come true," she said in a childlike voice and dreamy eyes. She raised an eyebrow at him and he laughed.

She soon joined him and they both laughed at her attics. "You look beautiful," he said smiling.

"Thank you, may I return the compliment?" she replied, giving him a peck on the cheek.

She was wearing a black dress with gold details that looked like a dress _Gorgo_ from the movie _300_ would have worn. Her mask was made of leather and was based on a traditional depiction of Anubis, the jackal-faced god of ancient Egypt, patron of mummification and the dead on their path to the underworld. It was hand carved and mostly black, except for the details that were bright gold, red and royal blue. She really looked like an Egyptian princess. His brother was going be gobsmacked and probably salivating a lot upon seeing her.

"He hasn't seen the dress," he stated.

"Nope," She looked to the side and frowned.

"What is it?" he asked his voice full of concern.

"Rosemary."

"Is she listening?"

"She's trying, but there is too much noise. Since I'm not concentrating on her, I can only hear her present thoughts. She's wondering who I am, since you came to me first. She's also nervous and hoping that I am not the one that warned her to stay away. She's going to be sorely disappointed." She stopped and laughed. "And here comes my man!"

Stefan didn't have time to say anything, before he was lightly patted on the shoulder. He turned and saw Damon looking between ecstatic and territorial. He moved away and let his big brother take his place.

"Be careful, Rose is watching." he murmured to his brother, before leaving.

"You are cruel; dressing like that. How am I supposed to resist?" he said, pouting.

"I'll wear it until you get back home. Promise." she whispered.

"I can't wait that long," he said leading her slowly out of the dance floor, to one of the study rooms.

"She's following us," protested Sapphire.

"Let her." replied Damon possessively.

He closed the door, but didn't lock it. He turned back to Sapphire and kissed her deeply, making her moaned. She pushed him toward a desk and he leaned on it, facing her. She went to her knees and slowly, she undid his belt buckle, unzipped his pants and pushed them down to his ankles. She nuzzled his hardening cock through his black brief. Then, she pulled them down and took the leaking shaft in her hand, making it hard with a few movements of her hand.

"Suck it!" ordered Damon impatiently.

She removed her mask and brought the head to her lips and sucked on it, enjoying the taste of her mate on her tongue. Damon groaned appreciatively as she took more and more in her mouth. When the tip touched the back of her throat, they both moaned. It didn't take long for Damon to slip his hands through her hair and then, pumping inside her mouth.

He knew Rose was listening on the other side of the closed door, but he didn't care. Well, actually, he did care; we wanted her to hear everything. If it wasn't for the fact that he would probably kill anyone seeing her naked or in ecstasy, we would take Athena in front of everyone, showing them who she belonged to. But in Rose case, it would be to show her that there was only one woman who could satisfy him, and it wasn't her.

"Damn…" groaned Damon when Sapphire bit the inside of his thigh, drawing blood.

"That's what you get for not concentrating on me!" she said playfully.

"Sorry?"

"You better be…" she replied, before deep-throating him.

"Yessss…"

Her head bobbed up and down faster, and soon, Damon was coming in her mouth with a deep growl. She kept licking and sucking his softening member until he had rode out his orgasm. Then, she placed back his brief, pants and belt.

"I won't ask if you've enjoyed it," she whispered against his lips.

"Mm…" he replied absently, his eyes still misty with bliss.

She put her mask back on, then turned her head sharply toward the door and ran to it. Before Rose had realized what had happened, Sapphire had opened the door, pulled the voyeur Vampire inside and closed the door again. Rose looked around panicking. She first saw Damon leaning casually against a dark burgundy wood desk; he seemed quite relaxed and sated. She wasn't stupid, she knew from the sounds they had made what had happened before she had been brought inside. The smell of lust and desire still filled the room; it was hard to concentrate and the scent was intoxicating. She heard someone clearing its throat and turned her head and finally saw the Egyptian woman.

"Yes, I'm the one who pulled you in, not Damon." replied Sapphire to the unspoken question.

"H-How did you know what I was going to ask?" asked Rose biting her lips nervously.

"Obviously, it would have been anyone's first question, but the truth is that I can see your thoughts." answered Sapphire nonchalantly.

"That's impossible!" exclaimed Rose.

"Whatever you want to believe child." she paused for a few seconds. "Now Rosemary, I am very disappointed in you. Do you know why?" asked Sapphire reproachfully.

"I-I don't know." replied a terrified Rose, looking at Damon for help, but it was clear that he had no intention of moving a single finger in her favour. She was on her own.

"Of course you do. I told you to leave Mystic Fall more than a year ago and you dare challenge me?" she asked, her voice rising.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I can't… I have no other choice."

Sapphire looked at her silently. Something was wrong with the Vampire; her thoughts were all mixed up, like she was fighting against someone else from the inside. She could hear two sets of thoughts; one was scared and wanted nothing else, but to run away, the other one though, was… hidden. It was hard to read, but it wasn't scared at all, like it knew something that she didn't. It was infuriating her.

"Rosemary, what happened to you?" asked Sapphire.

She read her thoughts as she asked the question. Something was stopping her from remembering; whatever it was, it was powerful and dangerous. She looked at Damon and mouthed '_Call Lucy_', so he texted the witch immediately.

"It is done," he said a few minutes later, breaking the silence.

"Good." She ran to Rose and pinned her to the nearest wall. "You'll listen to me now child. You have 48 hours to leave the town or I will kill you once and for all. This is the last time I'm showing you any kind of mercy Rosemary, next time, I won't. Do you hear me?"

"Yes!" she cried out loud.

"Furthermore, if the idea of getting with Damon ever crosses your mind again, I will ripped you apart!" she growled, which made Damon smirked.

She could hear his thoughts; he loved it when she became territorial. He found it mesmerising, but above everything else, he found it extremely hot. His libido was skyrocketing.

Sapphire wanted to test something. _[Stake yourself,]_ she commanded.

Rose cried harder and started to move toward one of the chairs, but stopped herself.

"No." she replied shakily breaking the mind binding power. She was even more terrified than before. "Y-You almost did it… You must be so old, but not as old as an Original. I will leave." she said and ran away.

Both Damon and Sapphire were speechless. Stefan came in; he had seen Rose running out and it had worried him, but he hadn't expected to see the couple looking gobsmacked.

"What happened?"

"She needs to be killed." said Sapphire gravely. "We cannot let her escape."

"I don't think she will leave anyway," replied Damon. "My guess is that she will try to attack us."

"Guys!" yelled Stefan to get their attention. "What happened? You are starting to freak me out."

"She can resist my command Stefan. Lucky for us, she thought it was because I wasn't old enough, but the truth is, there is something inside of her."

"What?" exclaimed both brothers.

"I'm not really sure, but when I tried to read her thoughts, it was all blurry and sometimes it felt like a second voice was there. It was disturbing. And when I tried to see what had happened to her, I simply hit a wall inside her mind, which never happened to me before."

"Did Lucy revoke her invitation?" asked Stefan on the verge of panic.

"Yes, it's done, don't worry about that." answered Sapphire. "But I don't think she went back to the house already. Rosemary is more likely to freak-out and runaway. But then, she will calm down and realised the mistake she made by running away again and will try to make amends with you. I so want to be there when she realises she can't get in again." she finished, laughing.

"Until Rose is dead, Lucy should come back to the Boarding house with her daughter." suggested Damon.

"Lets deal with that tomorrow," proposed Stefan.

…

It had been a long and exhausting night. Sapphire had had to run away as far as possible to make sure that no one had followed her, then she had changed into air to go back to her bedroom, changed into Odelle and put on her pyjama, before going down the stairs and join Lucy in the living room.

"You couldn't sleep?" asked Lucy, playing her part.

"I tried and did for a while, but I'm too worried about Damon to sleep. I'll stay with you until he comes back."

"I should be the one saying that, considering I'm in your house!"

They laughed.

Damon came back an hour later. It would have been too suspicious for him and the gang to leave so early and right after Sapphire. Damon insisted to escort Lucy and Deana home. His new motto was 'Not taking any chances' and he was living by it. While he was away, Odelle ran to their bedroom and change into the Egyptian black dress; she hadn't missed the small disappointment in Damon's eyes when he had seen her in a plain pyjama. Obviously, she had closed everything before doing so, not risking getting caught. She waited.

As soon as he had locked the front door behind him, Damon smiled; he could smell his Shape-shifter mate. He ran upstairs to their bedroom and his jaw dropped to the floor when he entered it. She had light up the room with 4 or 5 big candles and she was wearing the dress.

The lights dancing on her sun-kissed skin mesmerized him. She was leaning casually against the opposite wall to the bedroom door. She raised one of her leg lightly and stopped when it was on tiptoe; exposing more skin to her mate. Damon swallowed loudly before walking to her. Once he was close enough to feel her warm breath against his lips, he caressed her smooth skin from her knee to her thigh, then up to her hips. He gave a low primal growl when he realized she wasn't wearing anything else underneath her dress. His eyes turned black, veins showing and pumping around his black pearls.

He started to give small licks to her lips while grinding against her. He removed the dress and discarded it to the side carelessly, before letting his hands slide up and down her body. He took her in his arms and put her down on the bed gently. He removed his clothes with his supernatural speed and joined her. She opened her legs letting him settle in as he pulled the covers to his midsection. She lifted her arms to caress his hair as he did the same to her cheek and lips. They stayed like that for what felt like an eternity, until she rubbed her center against his erection.

"I could eat you…" whispered Damon close to her ear.

He slid down under the covers, until his face was between her thighs, looking at her quivering and wet core. Her scent was intoxicating and he let the animal in him take over as his tongue taste the first drop of her sweet honey. It didn't take too long for his fingers to join his mouth sucking at her clit. He pushed two fingers inside her, caressing her g-spot; making her scream his name. He kept his ministrations until she came, releasing more of her sweet fluids. The beast in him wanted more, it craved for more. He went to his knees between her thighs, letting the sheets run down his body to the bed. He then bent down so that his lips lay against her pumping jugular. He bit down drawing blood as they both moaned.

He drew back his fangs after a few seconds, straightening back. He put his hands around her waist and pulled her up to his thighs before entering her core with his rock hard leaking member in one smooth thrust. She crossed her ankles behind his back pulling him deeper inside of her.

"Claim me again my Damon…" she whispered almost delirious from the intense pleasure she was feeling building up inside her.

Damon roared in victory and plunged back inside her tight channel, pounding into her as hard and deep as he could with each thrust. Her whole body arched as she gripped the bed sheets, pulling them to her.

He saw a small bead of perspiration running from her breast to the middle of her collarbones and down to the side of her neck. Without stopping his furious movement, he leaned down again, licked the salty pearl before biting her again. Athena wailed, coming hard and almost blacked-out. She felt her orgasm fluids down her thighs as Damon kept drinking and thrusting inside of her.

Suddenly, he gave a hard push and stayed deep inside as he released into her core. He pulled out his fang and licked clean her neck smeared with her own blood. They were both breathing hard, trying to regain any composure from their intensive lovemaking.

Damon put his forearms to each side of her head and passed his hands through her hair; settling one at the nape, massaging it gently, while the other one gave the same soft caress to her right temple.

"Love you." murmured the Vampire looking into her eyes. He rotated his hips slowly, loving the feeling of her quivering channel around his still half hard cock.

"Love you too… So beautiful…" she said smiling at him.

"Shower?" he suggested.

She nodded. He withdrew from her and they both moaned disapprovingly at the lost connection. He stood up and offered her his hand. As soon as her hand was in his, he pulled her up into his arms. She grabbed the baby monitor on their way out to the bathroom. They took their time roaming their hands over each other and washing slowly, before they came back to their room half an hour later. Damon changed the bed sheets set. Then, they went in; the Vampire on his back, while the Shape-shifter laid half her body over him as he held her close.

"How was my little man?" asked Damon in a low voice, breaking the silence as he caressed Athena's back absently.

"He's still pouting over the bracelet." She paused and they both laughed. "But I'm worried."

"He is well protected," he said, trying to reassure her. Truth is; he was scared for his son too.

"We need to find another house and soon," she urged.

"Why? You don't think this one is okay?"

"That's not it. If too much danger gets close to Rain he will age quickly until he reaches maturity. I don't want that for our son. My youth was stolen by Klaus; I don't want the same thing happening to Rain."

"What do we do then?" he asked, looking down at her. This time, it wasn't like when they had fought against Klaus, where he had been ready to sacrifice himself for Athena and his son. No, he wanted to survive to see his child growing up and to marry Athena. He wanted everyone to live through this.

"We could buy a house big enough for the whole gang, or build one, in a city nearby, so that if something wrong happens, we can shield that house. It would have to be far enough to avoid any stress for Rain. Lucy, Bonnie and I could set strong wards around the house to prevent anyone, but us, from entering." she finished, meeting his gaze.

"You do realize that we will need someone to guard Rain and probably Deana too?" he thought about it for a second. "Aw! Of course, Elena and Jeremy, they would be the perfect candidates for the job."

"That's what I thought too. They won't be happy about it, but they will understand. And if they don't everyone will agree with us. Anyway, we have to kill Rosemary before doing anything else."

"I agree." he said, before scratching the nape of her neck gently. She emitted a noise that sounded a lot like a purr. He felt a stirring in his mid-section. "Damn…"

She laughed. "Drink my blood; it will satisfy you well enough. And furthermore, it will give you more strength." she finished, offering her neck to him.

She didn't need to do it twice. Damon licked her large vein languorously before biting down. He let the blood fill his mouth completely each time, before swallowing the big gulps. He drank until he was so high from it that he blacked out, fangs retracting.

Athena glanced at Damon and chuckled; he looked like something between a well-fed baby sleeping peacefully and a passed out drunk. She went to the bathroom and cleaned off the exceeding blood trailing down her neck and shoulder. Then, came back to bed and settled in Damon's arms for the night. Tomorrow was going to be quite a day…

…

Rosemary was hiding in a dark cupboard, shaking like a leaf.

She had run so far away; scared for her life. She had found a little townhouse and had compelled the woman to let her in. As soon as she had set foot in the house, she had killed all of its occupants, a young couple in their mid-thirties. Another panic attack had hit her and she had run to the smallest and darkest place in the house, the wardrobe in the office next to the master bedroom. She had closed the door behind her and squeezed her body in a corner.

She was petrified there, the only sounds in the darkness being her harsh breathing and the intensive rubbing she kept giving to her lapis lazuli pendant. At the slightest sound, her senses would overload for a fraction of second, before she could calm down again.

She knew she had to make the call tomorrow; what would she say? At first, she had thought that it would have been an easy task and that she would have won her freedom once and for all. But the deeper she got into this mess, the more she realized that her chances of survival were slight to none.

There was only one thing left for her; hope…

_~ The next day ~_

Back at the Boarding house, Damon laughed as he watched a smaller and very younger version of himself playing on the green jungle print mat on the floor. Rain was obviously happy to be free of his bracelet preventing him from shifting. In this room, Rain and Athena could shift all they wanted; there was no window and it was warded against foes.

"_Papa_!" giggled Rain happily as he ran to his father, shifting back to himself.

"You want to play with me little man?" asked Damon sitting down on the mat, holding his arms to his son.

They played together making baby puzzles, building structures with multi-colored plastic cubes, and a few games of hide and seek. An hour or two later, Athena came into the playroom to find her mate sprawled on the floor with their son on his chest; both sleeping soundly. She couldn't resist and ran to their bedroom to fetch her camera and took a few pictures of them. When she was done, she picked up Rain, put his bracelet back on and brought him to his nursery, where she put him to bed. She went back to the playroom and shifted into Sapphire and took Damon bridal style in her arms, trying as hard as she could not to laugh at the situation. She moved quickly between the two rooms and dropped her mate carefully on their bed. She removed his shoes and pulled the covers to his chest afterward. She shifted back to Odelle and took one of the baby monitors before going downstairs.

Lucy was alone in the kitchen, feeding Deana who was clearly enjoying the new flavours of baby food in her mouth.

"Where did everyone go?" asked Odelle.

"Movies." replied the witch smiling. "But they will be back before sundown. And are your men still playing?"

"Nope. I guess they where both exhausted; found them passed out on the floor in the playroom. They looked adorable. So, how's Cleatus?"

Lucy gave her a blinding smile before blushing. "He's doing great, I guess. He's frustrated that he can't help us, but as long as we are safe, he's okay. Oh and he thought that building a safe house was a great idea." she saw shock in Odelle's eyes for a few second before it was replaced by understanding. "He showed me the spell to protect houses."

"Good. I went to look for a lot to build the house on and found one. I'm going next week to sign the papers and also found a company that builds houses indoors and delivers them to you afterward. I found the perfect house with six bedrooms; the master bedroom is very big and has a walking closet, so it will be easy enough to use the spare space to make a nursery for Deana and Rain. When I checked with them, they confirmed that the house would take a month and a half maximum to build and put on site. And I already have a team to design the interior as soon as the house is up. The house should be ready to move in, in about two months. It was the fastest option I could come up with."

"You've been a busy bee today! But all the money…"

"You saw the house back in Montreal. I have the money and so does Damon or even Deena. Don't worry about it. The safety of our children is priceless; I would do anything for them, just like you."

Lucy was about to answer when they heard the doorbell ring. They looked at each other confused, but Odelle stood up and went to answer. She couldn't hide the surprise she felt when she saw Rose standing there.

"Well… I didn't expect you to come back during the day…" said Odelle still trying to overcome her shock.

"I need to speak with Damon and Stefan." stated Rose as she came forward, but soon hit the invisible wall preventing her from entering. "W-What?"

"Did you really think we wouldn't figure out what you where up to?" asked Lucy coming toward them with her daughter in her arms. "We revoked your invitation. You do realise that I could kill you on the spot by summoning your pendant? It was stupid and careless of you to come here during the day. What did you expect; a warm welcoming? I was told that Sapphire had been quite clear about warning you to stay away."

"So that's her name…" she said nervously, fidgeting with the pendant.

"I'm guessing you will relay the information to someone else?" said Odelle, voice full of venom. "You're just as worst as Katherine, but at least, she was a smart girl and knew when to run."

"So much talking, but I don't see you doing anything," challenged Rose.

Both sun-kissed women laughed.

"We agreed to let Damon, Deena and Sapphire fight you. Just a quick warning, when they find you, and trust me, they will, Damon will enjoy ripping your heart out." said Lucy. "Run Rose while you can, the further you are from Mystic Fall, the longer you will live."

"I would listen if I were you," said a voice coming down the stairs. They turned and saw Damon. "You could have been such a great ally Rose, but you seriously thought that we were so easily deceived? Mark my words, by the end of this evening; I will have your heart in my hands. And you can tell your boss, that we are going to destroy anything and anyone he or she will send at us."

Rose nodded; she knew staying longer wouldn't change anything. She ran. She had to make the call, then, she would leave and go away, to the other side of the planet if needed.

…

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><p><strong>AN:** _Thank you for reading! Hope you liked the last chapter! I'll gladly read you thoughts and comments on the story so far! I feel like I need to explain why I've been slow in posting lately... The reasons are that I'm trying to put back my life on track, but above everything, the next chapter is the last one I'm done with that can be read. What I mean is that I only have 5 chapters to finish which are 10, 11, 13, 15 and 17. I think I have a problem with odd numbers. I'm doing my best to get them done so I can keep on posting, but I can't seemed to write in order. Until next time... xoxo ~ Meye_

Translation:  
><em><strong>Papa<strong>_ - Daddy


	11. 9 Leave out all the rest

**Disclaimer:** This story is based on characters and situations from _The Vampire Diaries_ series created by _L. J. Smith_ and developed by _Kevin Williamson/CW Network_. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringements are intended. OCs are all mine, please ask before using them anywhere.

**Beta Reader:** The lovely _OnyxvanGem_

**A/N:** _Chapter #9! I don't have anything to say LOL No more babbling and onto the story! Enjoy the reading!_

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><p><strong><span>Leave out all the rest<span>**

As soon as Rose was out of view, Damon looked at the two women. "Are you okay?"

"Yes." replied Lucy. "We're all fine, thank you." She looked down at her daughter. "And you young lady, it's time to finish your food."

When she was gone, back in the kitchen feeding her daughter, the Vampire embraced his mate tightly and caressed the small of her back reassuringly. She pushed her face into his chest and inhaled deeply. He lifted her head with both hands and kissed her, slipping his tongue passed her lips, tasting her.

"Come." he said pulling at her hands toward the staircase. "We need to talk."

Once in their bedroom, they went to check on Rain to make sure that he was still sleeping; he was. She shifted back into herself and they sat in the armchairs beside their son's cot. Damon sighed and passed a hand through his hair.

"About tonight, I don't want Stefan to fight with us," said Damon.

"Isn't that what we had already decided? Though, I guess Stefan will insist on fighting this one. Why don't you want to let him?" she asked curiously. "Caroline, I would have understood; she's too young and isn't good at fighting anything supernatural, but your brother; I don't get it. He has been drinking more and more human blood…"

"I know." he said cutting her gently. "But if we were to die, I want my brother to be there for Rain. If the fight gets too hard, we will ask for his help, but I don't want to leave our son behind without any blood family."

"Damon…" she said tears in her eyes. "We won't lose against Rose, I promise. If I had my doubts, we wouldn't fight against her as vampires. I would bring Lucy or Bonnie with us or use my Druid powers if I thought differently. But both Dee and I are older than her and you are a very strong Vampire, I don't think it will be that difficult to kill her."

"You are underestimating her," he answered back.

"No, I know she is stronger with that thing, or voice, or spell, inside her, but I also know our strengths. You know I would never risk yours and Deena's lives if I wasn't sure." She smiled at him.

"I'll also make sure that you won't try killing yourself in the process." he replied seriously with the hint of a smirk dancing on his lips.

She laughed; he knew her too well. Truth is; Athena wasn't as nice as people thought. Sometime, she wondered if Damon even knew of the darkness inside her being. She looked at him and he raised his eyebrows before winking at her. Then he was all serious again.

"Tell me what you're thinking Athena, I need to know it," he asked, almost begging her for the answer.

"Damon… I… Sometimes I do things when I'm angry… Forget it. I just want you to understand that I'm not this selfless person some may think I am. When we trapped Klaus and the Sky asked for a guardian, I was willing to go and die for everyone, but asked again today, I wouldn't do it for the same reason."

"Go ahead." he said encouragingly, taking her hands in his.

"My life isn't more important than anyone else in our gang and I'm not saying I would let any of them sacrifice themselves for any of us… But right now, if someone asked me to die to save Bonnie, I wouldn't do it, the same for Elena or even Stefan or Alaric… Does that make me a bad person?" she asked crying. "Damon, I would kill myself a thousand times to save you or Rain, but… I feel so horrible; I would even have second thoughts before saving Deena…"

"Hey… Come here." murmured Damon to his mate as he brought her closer to him, before taking her in his arms.

He went back to their bed and closed the door to Rain's nursery on his way. He lied with Athena and held her for a while. She was rarely this emotional; obviously she had done something and whatever it was; it was coming back to her full force.

"The last time we fought… about Rosemary," she started in a whisper. "I was angry, so angry and I couldn't contain my rage. I went to the biggest city closest to Mystic Fall. I read people's thoughts once I was there and caught a man; he was a rapist and serial killer. I used the ring to play with him and I… I killed him so many times…"

"Athena…"

"No, let me finish now or I won't be able to do it. When I was about to dispose of the body, I felt two Vampires coming toward me. They were planning on torturing me and do other things so disgusting I can't repeat them, but in the end they wanted to kill me. They were brothers Damon, just like you and Stefan. But I was so mad… I thought of the worst thing to do to them; so I turned them against each other and ordered them to fight to death." She felt Damon tense; she knew it would affect him. "The youngest won in the end. They cried, so much, the whole time they fought… I order the youngest to wait for the sun… and I came back to Mystic Fall."

She sat up, silent tears flowing down her cheeks. She didn't regret killing them, they deserved it; she wouldn't have been the first 'Vampire' to die at their hands. But the way they had died, she felt like Katherine.

Damon had been shocked with her story, not just the Vampires part, but also everything. He knew Athena wasn't an angel; she loved him for who he was. Obviously, she had darkness inside her, but he had never expected her to do something like that.

"It's okay," he said, sitting up and caressing the nape of her neck. "This doesn't change anything. Athena. Look at me." he commanded. She turned her head to him. "I've done so many unspeakable things during the last century, being repulsed by your story would be quite hypocrite of me. Of course I'm shocked, but you are the woman I love, with your flaws and qualities. Nothing will stop me from loving you. Well… maybe I'll stop loving you if you stop having amazing sex with me."

She laughed through her tears. "Thank you, I needed that."

"What good would I be for if I didn't know what to tell you?" he asked smirking at her.

"Amazing sex?" she said repeating his words.

They both laughed and felt back to bed, Damon on his back with his hands behind his head and Athena lying on top of him. She caressed her thumb against his lips and he bit the top drawing blood from it into his mouth. She smiled and kept smearing his lips with her blood before letting him lick it off and taking the finger back in his mouth to suck on it. When the punctures on her thumb finally closed, she let her head fall to his neck and nuzzled it affectionately.

"Love you." she said, lips against his neck.

"Love you too my Athena. And I want you to remember this; loving your family more than your friends isn't a crime and doesn't make you a bad person, it makes you human. Same goes for not wanting to die for anyone, we aren't superheroes, none of us are, and we are only fighting for survival, not for the pleasure of it or the glory of victory."

She sighed, content with everything that had happened today.

"_Da! Da! Da_!" chanted Rain through the baby monitor, which made his parents laughed.

"Stay here." said Damon.

He went to the nursery and she heard him complaining about the smell. She couldn't help it and started cracking up even harder as he kept on ranting about how such a cute thing could smell so bad or that Rain hated him, while he cleaned his son from his dirty nappy. He came back with a naked Rain who was happily babbling about a bird and a rainbow.

"Well hello there, little man!" said Athena.

"_Maman_!" exclaimed Rain stretching his arms to his mother.

"_C'est l'heure du bain._" she said taking him in her arms before walking to the bathroom.

Damon used his Vampire speed to draw the bath for his son. When everything was ready, they kneeled beside the bathtub and watched as their son played with his floating toys for a while, before washing him. Damon cleaned Rain's soft jet-black hair gently as Athena gazed lovingly at her two favourite men.

"When his hair started to fall, I didn't think they would growth back just as fast. So much hair!" exclaimed Damon, rinsing the baby's hair, making sure that no soap got into his eyes.

"And that is why he is so gorgeous." she said tickling her son's tummy, making Rain giggle. "Oh! Yes he is; the most beautiful little man in the world."

This moment was perfect for them and they basked in it, knowing what was to come later that day.

…

She had been fumbling nervously with her phone for the last twenty minutes. She finally got hold of her nerves and dialled the number.

"_You're late." _said a female voice reproachfully. _"And here I thought something had happened to you, but I can obviously see that you are quite fine."_

"You can…" she started before looking frantically around her.

"_I'm not inside, and don't bother coming outside; you won't find me."_ replied the woman. _"What happened? I was told that you had left the Masquerade in a hurry… I'd love to know why."_

"The woman, I mean the Vampire who told me to leave Mystic Fall the first time, she was there, at the ball."

"_You did mention her a few times before. Is she that powerful?"_ asked the woman intrigued.

"Yes, almost as strong as an Original. She tried to use compulsion on me and almost succeeded, but I was able to resist." answered Rose, sounding relieved.

"_Really? I wasn't aware of this. Let me get this straight the Salvatore have an Alpha werewolf and a very old Vampire on their side?"_ she asked annoyed.

"Yes. And Damon is probably sleeping with both her and the human teacher. When I followed them during the Masquerade, they made me spy on them on purpose, so that I would hear them making out."

"_That is very interesting, I want that Vampire on our side; we need to find her."_

"I don't think it will work, going for Deena, Damon or Stefan would be easier." suggested Rose.

"_Are you challenging my power?"_ asked the woman, getting angry.

"N-No. Of course not, but she said she could read my thoughts, which means that she could know you were around her and escape before you got close enough to capture her. And I can't really help, since my invitation inside the Boarding house was revoked."

"_This is unusual; a Vampire almost as strong as an Original and with telepathic power. We need to diminish their numbers. Killing them has proven to be harder than we thought. It's insulting and I'm really not happy about those failures."_ Her voice sounded like a spoiled brat for a few seconds. _"Do you know her? The Vampire, I mean."_

"No. The only thing I was able to get was her name, which is Sapphire, and by her looks, I would say that she is Egyptian. And judging by the teacher's reaction, she either doesn't know about Sapphire sleeping with Damon or she doesn't care. Which brings me back to the mystery father of her child." finished Rose, hoping it would satisfy the other woman.

"_So basically, you haven't found much, you've compromised yourself and you are now useless?"_

"I… I… no, I can still help!" tried to plead Rose.

"_Of course you can dear,"_ said the voice coiling at her.

Rose felt a tugging inside of her and let out a pained gasp. She stood up and ran to the restroom. As she looked at herself into the mirror, the ache kept increasing until the pain was so intense, she felt like she would pass out. Soon, her eyes turned black as night and she snarled loudly at her own reflection.

There was a drumming inside of her. Calling to her; ordering her to comply; to submit to it. It kept repeating the same commands; _fight, kill them all! Fight; kill them all_, over and over again. The mantra seducing her and soon she could do nothing else than follow it. She ran outside the small restaurant and continued her last journey to Mystic Fall.

…

The gang sat in the living room looking at Lucy who had just started the locating spell for Rose. Athena was already shifted into Sapphire and was only waiting for the result to set out and finish the job she should have done two years ago. Tonight, she would only reveal herself as a Shape-shifter if they couldn't kill Rose and it became too dangerous.

Lucy gasped. "She's here."

"In Mystic Fall?" asked Jeremy surprised.

"No. Here!" replied Lucy frantically as huge crashing sounds came from outside.

They ran to the windows and saw an enraged Rose destroying Bonnie's car. Damon, Deena and Sapphire nodded at each other.

"Stefan, come to us only if help is needed." said Dee.

"But…" started to protest the man.

"No buts, little brother, we need someone strong in here too." replied Damon, cutting him.

The trio went outside. Dee was the first to run toward Rose and pushed her as far as she could. But the rogue vampire landed on her feet and prowled back at the petite strawberry blonde. For a long moment, it looked like Deena had the upper hand, but then, it was like Rose had a surge of power and if it hadn't been for Damon pulling her out of the way; she would have lost an arm.

"That bitch!" screamed Deena. "How the hell did she managed that?"

"Be careful princess!" growled Damon at her. "Sapphire, some help please?"

"Rosemary is lost somewhere inside. Forget it; we can't do anything for her. Deena?" she looked at her friend and they both attacked at the same time.

Rose was fast, but not as fast as Sapphire, but somehow she was almost stronger. Both Vampires tried as much as they could to put Rosemary down long enough for Damon to give the final blow, but it proved to be a very complicated task.

"Girls, stop playing!" yelled Damon.

"We aren't you imbecile!" snarled Dee back at him. "Do something useful, dig a hole!"

Damon was confused by the demand, but obviously, they seemed okay with him not looking. He was done in about a minute or two. He kept giving glances at the girls just in case. But nothing had changed. That's when he was struck by an idea and sneered.

"Sapphire, can you hold her without me for 2 more minutes?" he asked voice full of concern.

"Yes. Go and come back fast!" she replied, hitting Rose again.

Damon ran away toward the Boarding house at full speed. He trusted his mate, but didn't want to risk her life for a plan B.

"Why can't you just give up?" groaned Deena loudly at the other Vampire.

"She can't! Something inside her keeps telling her to fight and kill us. She is only a pawn and this is nothing more than a suicide mission, but why?" replied Sapphire, getting angrier by the minute.

"Are you telling me that she was sent here, knowing that she would die at our hands?" asked a bemused Deena.

"Yes." answered the older Vampire. "Maybe she was sent hoping that before dying she would be able to kill at least one of us. Tough, it almost feels like we are being tested."

When Damon came back, she only had a moment to see that he was holding a blood bag before he ripped it open. Surprisingly the smell didn't help at all to break Rose concentration, as she kept raging at the two women.

"The _Eclipse_'s trick doesn't always work love!" replied Sapphire laughing.

"Damn it!" he was enraged. He had thought about something else, but he had hoped that the first plan would have worked, but he had no other choice, but to use it. He pulled out a familiar small flask and opened it.

Both women recognized the smell and had to contain themselves, but Rose couldn't and ran toward Damon. It took seconds and she was pinned to the ground by Deena and Sapphire.

"Now Damon!" screamed Sapphire.

He didn't wait and staked Rose, the spike passed through her body. She let out a small gasp, but died with a smile on her lips. She was finally done running and if she was lucky, Trevor would be there.

Sapphire yanked off Elijah's pendant from Rose's neck and grabbed the corpse before throwing it in the hole her mate had dug earlier. As soon as it was done, she let her vampire senses feel her surroundings, making sure that no one would see her. The path was clear, she could only smell allies. She shifted into Zeus and torched Rosemary's body.

Suddenly, both Dee and Damon tried to cover their ears as much as they could and seemed to be in pain over something Zeus couldn't hear. They backed away from the fire and the Druid pushed more power into the flames and soon, only ashes remained. She shifted back to Sapphire.

"What happened?" she asked, caressing Damon's ears gently with both hands.

"There was something, a sound, a piercing shriek coming from the fire, from Rose. Whatever was inside of her died in the flames and wasn't happy about it. The sound was awful." he replied, turning his head to the left and kissed her hand.

"Whatever it was, it's dead now," replied Dee. "Let's go home. I want my professor!"

They all laughed and walked back to the Boarding house, but not before burying the ashes. It was another enemy off their back.

…

Alaric smiled when he saw the three Vampires coming toward the house as if nothing had happened. They were smiling at each other. When Damon had came back alone, he had, just like everyone else, feared for the worst, but he had been glad to hear Damon saying that everything was okay, but that they were just bored playing with their food.

Caroline, thanks to her supernatural speed, was the first to reach Deena and embraced her tightly. Alaric stood paralyzed away from the reunion. The petite Vampire saw him standing there silently and went to him, concern showing on her face.

"Hey…" she murmured to him. "You're okay? You look quite pale. Did something happen while we were away?"

"N-No, nothing happened." he replied looking down at her.

She looked up at him, eyebrow rising, not believing him at all. "Guys, me and my hot teacher will go and celebrate our small victory!" she called back to the gang, as she pulled him toward the stairs, then up to his room.

As soon as the door was closed behind them, he pushed her hard against it and kissed her fiercely before pulling her roughly back to him, warping his arms around her petite frame. Dee took a while to overcome her shock, but as soon as she did, she returned the professor's embrace. She didn't dare to break the silence; he was clearly troubled and needed to get it out of his system.

"Don't move… please," he begged as he crouched down to remove his shoes and socks.

When he was done, he did the same for hers and then proceeded to undress her slowly. He took his time to caress every single patch of skin he was exposing gently as he removed her clothes. She shivered. When she was finally naked, he pulled her to his shower and opened it, making sure the temperature was all right. He pushed her in and followed closely behind. He took the dark blue fluffy loofah and put some tropical fruit scent liquid body soap on it. He passed the loofah over the petite Vampire body carefully. But before he could rinse her off, she stopped him.

"Let me…" she whispered, smiling at him; trying to put all the love she had for him in that smile.

He let her undress him. She gave his body the same devotion he had given hers. They rinsed the soap off their body together. Just when they were about to get out, he kissed her again, but with more tenderness that he had ever shown to her before.

As soon as they were back in his bedroom, his breathing became laborious, so Deena made him sit on the side of his bed. She stood in front of him, passing her hands through his hair, trying to calm him. He caught her by surprise, when he laid his forehead on her stomach breaking down in intensive sobs. He had been so scared tonight; seeing Damon coming back running in had brought back so many nightmares of losing the woman he loved. And he did love Deena, deeply, but he could never find the courage to tell her. He was terrified that if he did, she would go away. Everyone kept saying that Jeremy had a 'dead girlfriend' curse on him, but to be honest, Alaric wasn't any better. His ex-wife was Elena's mother and had become a Vampire, before running away. Jenna had been collateral damage in their fight against Katherine. He couldn't take another lost like that again.

He was so immersed in his breakdown that he didn't even realized that they had moved; they were now both sitting in the middle of his bed as Deena held his head close to her breast and kept rocking him gently. She had hoped that the reassuring movement would have calmed him, but she knew now that he would cry himself to sleep. Already, his heart wrenching sobs were turning into soft whimpers and random hiccups; it wouldn't be long now.

He finally fell asleep; face smeared with his tears. She laid him down on the bed and went to fetch a warm washcloth to clean his face. She closed all the lights and lied with him; waiting for sleep to claim her. They would have to talk tomorrow…

…

When Deena and Alaric had left, the gang had gone to sit in the living room to talk about tonight's events.

"Take this brother of mine!" said Damon, throwing Elijah's pendant to Stefan. "Make sure you wear it at all times, just like your ring."

"Will it make a difference?" asked the younger Salvatore.

"Yes." answered Sapphire. "Elijah's pendant will make you stronger, but most of all, you will be lightly protected against wood harm; not by much, but it's better than nothing at all."

"What happened to Rose?" asked Tyler.

"Ashes." stated Damon. "And we can confirm that something alive was inside of her. If it wasn't, whoever did the spell didn't appreciate our burning of Rosemary."

"So, she was possessed," said Bonnie.

"Yes, and even when she was conscious and the other voice was swirling inside her head, I don't think she ever realized that something was wrong with her. It was like when someone has multiple personality's disorder. One side is always aware of what is happening, while the other one suffer the consequences and the memory blank spots. But something good came out of this; whatever was inside of her is very fragile and can easily be destroyed when exposed. Though, finding a way to do so, without killing the carrier, would be great." finished Sapphire smirking.

"I can see with Cleatus…" suggested Lucy. "Obviously, he is still forbidden to tell us anything that could alter the events of time, but I could ask for whatever he can give us."

"That would be great!" exclaimed Caroline.

"So, did the blood bag helped?" asked Stefan out of nowhere. He had been the only one to see what Damon had taken before going back to the fight. Sapphire laughed out loud at his question. "What did I say?" he asked confused.

"Not funny little girl." growled Damon under his breath.

"What's wrong with you?" asked Tyler now very interested with what had happened.

"When Damon used the blood, it failed. But I guess he had expected it since he had brought a Plan C with him…" started Sapphire.

"And…" pushed Tyler.

"He had to share something that is very precious to him and I know it wasn't the easiest thing to do." When she saw everyone puzzled face, Sapphire laughed. "He shared me." she replied simply.

"How can he… oh your blood?" exclaimed Caroline.

"Yes." answered Damon for his mate. "Can we talk about something else?"

"Can I just ask one last question?" tried Tyler.

"Shoot!" snapped Damon back at him, urging the werewolf to make it quick.

"Does her blood smell that good?" he asked incredulously.

"Yesss!" replied Sapphire and Damon at the same time.

"We should call it a night and finish this discussion tomorrow with Alaric and Dee." suggested Stefan. He turned to his brother and Sapphire. "I know you had something important that you wanted to talk to us about. Can it wait until tomorrow?"

"Of course." replied Sapphire.

They called it a night and went up to their respective room.

About thirty minutes had passed when someone knocked at Damon's bedroom door. The couple was still drying themselves off from their shower. The Vampire was the quickest, so he went to answer, towel around his waist. He wasn't expecting to see Elena there. She blushed when she saw him, and looked away unable to speak.

"It's not like you've never seen Stefan naked before! Though, I do admit that my body have that effect on most women." he said proudly; a smirk on his lips. "So, what can I do for you?"

"Is Athena still awake? I'd like to talk with her privately…" asked Elena shyly.

"You mind waiting?"

"No, it's okay."

He closed the door gently and went back to the bathroom where Athena was brushing her air. She looked at him in the mirror and smiled.

"Who was it?"

"Elena. She wants to talk to you."

"Now?"

"Yes. Do you want me to send her away? You look tired…" he said voice full of concern.

"No it's okay; it must be important. Can I borrow one of your shirts?"

"Mmm… Not sure it's such a great idea. You look exquisite in those and I don't think I could let you out of this room wearing one."

"Sex fiend!" she replied playfully.

She went to his wardrobe and took one of his black silk shirts and put it on with a pair of silk mini short she owned. She gave her mate a peck on the cheek and went outside to meet Elena. They went into the baby playroom; knowing no one would be able to eavesdrop on them.

"Something wrong?" finally asked Athena calmly.

"I wanted to apologize. I crossed the line with everyone when I let Rose in and especially with you. What I did was wrong and I'm not trying to justify my action, but I wanted to explain it. With everything that has been happening; _Centaurus_, Tyler's mom, the werewolves and all; I just wanted to be able to do something to help. It's so hard to stay behind, watching all of you fight…" Her eyes were watering. "I really just wanted to help; but I was reckless and endangered Rain in the process and could have caused a permanent rift between you and Damon… and… I'm just so sorry Athena."

Athena embraced Elena. "It's okay, don't cry… I cannot say I wasn't mad at you, but I've forgiven you. I should have told you so. It really just slipped my mind with Rosemary around."

The young woman smiled at the Shape-shifter.

"Come on now! We should head back to bed!" offered Athena, giving another tight squeeze to Elena before letting her go.

They went their separate way, back to their room. Elena took a shower and joined Stefan in bed, while Athena was attacked by her mate and was kept wide-awake until two in the morning.

…

It was almost 3am when his phone started ringing. At first, John tried to ignore it, but it was obvious that the person on the other side wanted to talk to him as his phone kept on ringing non-stop. He groaned and stretched his arm and pated around until his hand landed on the annoying thing. He picked it.

"This better be good…" he said quite grumpily still half asleep.

"_The She-Vamp is dead,"_ said a female voice unhappily.

"Did you really expect something else?" he asked, now fully awaken. "She did tell you that Deena was older than her, combine that with Damon and Stefan, they would have had an amazing fight, but put in the lot a Vampire almost as strong as an Original; it was a lost cause for Rosemary. We both knew it was a suicide mission sending her back to fight. Though, now, we are Werewolf-less and Vampire-less. I can't do more than what I'm already doing right now. I cannot do a good job if I have to focus on them too…"

"_I know. You don't hear me complaining either. You are doing your job perfectly so far. Though, I do regret making you and She-Vamp kill Isobel. She was good at research and since they got their hands on Slater before us, we can't find him. He is apparently well protected."_

"Well, we need Deena or Damon on our side. The third Vampire will be too hard to get. If it were just for me, I would go with the girl, since I can't stand the Salvatore… Also, she is the oldest one and came to town around the time that the Originals were killed, which means that she probably knows more than the other, but Damon is the best choice since he is part of the Council. My only problem is that I can't get to him by myself. He doesn't trust me at all."

"_I will send help. My brother should arrive soon enough. Did you find anything else in Isobel research? Klaus isn't dead, I would feel it if he was."_

"Not yet. She had a lot on Klaus, but so far, I've found nothing about what they did to imprison him. Also, I've contacted some people and whoever was the father of the Bennett baby girl, she is a witch. But both babies are highly protected. The Salvatore used to be more reckless than this before. At the Masquerade, it was obvious that they had planned something." He paused. "My main concern is that it seems they're receiving a lot of help from the outside. Trapping Klaus would have taken a lot of power and knowledge, which means that at least three persons that we don't really know about are helping them. And I don't believe their witch coven story; there is something more…"

"_I'll keep that in mind. For now, let's focus on getting ourselves a new Vamp-Toy!" _she said in a voice that reminded John too much of Katherine cooing.

"I'll be waiting," he said before hanging up; going back to sleep.

…

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><p><strong>AN:** _What is John up to? Who's coming to help? Any theories? Loved or hated the chapter? Please share your thoughts with me! 3 On a side note... I was so sad not to see John's ghost in TVD, but he was done with everything! (I guess) But hey David Anders (to my pleasure) plays in Once upon a time! If a needed any more reasons to watch this show, he just gave me the best! LOL Anyway back to Sacrifices..._

_Sadly__, this is the last chapter for a little while, but I can say that when I start posting again it will be the whole thing... The story will still need to be beta'd, but since chapter 10 will probably be the last one I'll wrote, it means that everything else will be done by then! So I'll work as fast as I can to make sure you won't have to wait any longer! xoxo ~ Meye (ps: author's note is following shortly after this)_

Translation:  
><em><strong>Maman<strong> - _Mommy  
><em><strong>C'est l'heure du bain<strong>_ - __It's bath time


	12. 10 Shiver

**Disclaimer:** This story is based on characters and situations from _The Vampire Diaries_ series created by _L. J. Smith_ and developed by _Kevin Williamson/CW Network_. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringements are intended. OCs are all mine, please ask before using them anywhere.

**Beta Reader:** The lovely amazing _OnyxvanGem aka The Master! :D and not :(_

**A/N:** _I'M BACK! And for good, until the end of Sacrifices. Whew, what a ride it was to complete this story. So this is the second half of the story. I'll be posting the chapters probably once a week as I used to do before so that my beta reader gets a chance to breath from time to time while correcting the chapters! And hey, new chapter start with M stuff ;)_

_ENJOY GUYS! _

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><p><strong><span>Shiver<span>**

_~ February 5th 2012 ~_

Athena had barely had time to sleep when Damon woke her up around 6am by removing all the beddings that were covering her. The cold air in the room washed over her body. She was startled awake and sat up, looking around only to see a smirking Damon at the end of the bed.

The Vampire had been watching his mate for the last hour, debating with himself between letting her sleep and taking her again. Letting her sleep would be a great idea, considering he had fucked her till two in the morning, giving her a very short amount of time to recover. On the other hand, he could let his hunger get the best of him and take what he wanted, but she would be so tired afterward. Though, thinking about it, she was off today, which meant she would have all day long to sleep. The last thought had given him his last argument to wake her up.

"Why did you do that?" she whined, pouting, as she let herself fall back onto the bed. She gazed to the side, saw the time, and groaned unhappily. She had barely been sleeping for 4 hours as her Vampire mate had refused to let her go upon her coming back from her talk with Elena.

"Felt like it!" replied Damon crawling between her legs, and further up until he was face to face with the Shape-shifter. "Hey…" he finished smiling devilishly at her.

"Mm… You're so mean…" she said, pursing her lips. She was exhausted from their lovemaking.

"Am I now?" he asked teasing her breast with the tip of his fingers. He loved driving her mad like that. Pushing her to her limits was something he loved more than anything especially when it came to bedroom activities.

"Damon…" whispered Athena with a voice sounding like, something between a moan and a whine.

"Yes?" he asked innocently before pulling one of her pointy beads between his teeth and sucking on it. He let it go for a second before rolling his tongue around it.

"Hate you…" she groaned, one hand going through her hair and the other one to Damon's.

"No you don't…" replied the Vampire as he gave the same treatment to her other bead.

"No… I don't… fuck… You're insatiable tonight…" she said her tone half complaining.

"I'm rarely satiable with our bedroom activities, my Athena… Now, do you really want me to stop?" he asked as his hands roamed over her body.

"No… but…" she barely whispered.

"But what?" he asked curiously.

She pulled him down to him and looked straight into his eyes. "If you're going to do this again, let the beast out. I want all of you Damon… nothing more, nothing less."

"You won't be able to handle me if I let myself go…" replied Damon smiling lovingly at her. And he knew he was right.

"Then, make sure I do!" she retorted in a raspy voice, provoking him.

The Vampire gave a primal growl, the beast deep inside of him wanting nothing more than to surge upward. His eyes turned pitch black and his canine elongated. He bit into his wrist and fed the Shape-shifter his blood. When he felt like it was enough he withdrew his bloody wrist from her mouth. Athena licked her lips sensually never breaking eye contact with him.

But the Vampire had other plans for his mate. He flipped her around not too gently, pushing her head against the mattress as he pulled her ass up before devouring her core. Athena moaned under the attack as he ate her inside out. Damon make her come thrice and drank every single drop of sweet honey she had to offer him before he plunged his leaking and stone hard member inside of her.

"Aw…" groaned the Shape-shifter almost yelling at the brutality of the penetration, but still enjoying it. She pulled the white sheets to her mouth and bit them.

"Beautiful…" said Damon praising her as he caressed her hips and thighs.

And then, with no warning he almost pulled out completely before pushing back in at Vampire speed. Athena couldn't contain in anymore and screamed between her clenched teeth as Damon's movements kept sending wave after wave of pure pleasure through her.

"Fuck… Damon…" moaned the Shape-shift, her mind clouded with some kind of lust euphoria as her mate pounded into her.

The Vampire grabbed both of her forearms and pulled them back, using them as a better anchor to push harder and deeper inside his mate's core.

After a few more pushes, he flipped her to the side and entered her again. He kept changing their position, taking her like there was no tomorrow.

_La petite mort_; there was no other way than this to describe how she felt at the moment. Hey body wanted nothing more than to succumb to the pleasure, but her mind, and the Vampire's blood, wouldn't let her blackout.

"Damon…" she begged.

The Vampire flipped them around one last time; lying on his back with her mounting him. He put his hands on her hips making her move up and down. The Shape-shifter's scratched his chest so hard that she drew skin under her nails, leaving trails of blood behind.

"Look at me…" grunted the Vampire at his mate.

Athena looked down at him and smiled lazily, licking her lips. She passed a hand through her hair; Damon pulled her down and they kissed heatedly. He pushed her head to the side and bit down her neck drawing blood, making her come one last time.

"Yesss…" she moaned, barely staying conscious, as she felt Damon coming inside her.

His rhythm slowed down as the beast inside of him was finally sated. His eyes turned back to their beautiful blue as he lifted her pelvis and pulled out of her. She stayed over him, her breathing erratic. Her whole body was on fire and the perspiration covering her was a proof of it. She unfolded her leg stretching them alongside Damon's and gave a feather kiss to his chest.

"I can't find a better word than magnificent… Fuck!" he murmured almost as if he couldn't believe it. "Wanna take a bath?"

"Can't move…" she replied in a daze.

"But I can…" he said taking her in his arms and getting out of bed before going to their bathroom.

He sat her on a little stool. Then, he turned on the water and waited until it was at the right temperature before letting it fill the bath. When he was done, he dropped a _Silver Cloud_ bath bomb into the water. He waited for it to dissolve a little bit, moving the water around. When the water changed from clear to turquoise blue with silver sparkles, he took Athena in his arms again and gently put her down in the bathtub before slipping in, behind her.

As soon as he was settled with her between his opened legs, she got closer and comfortable against his hard chest. She was dozing off as Damon gently and lazily washed her body with a small cloth.

"That was intense…" she whispered, her lips to the Vampire's neck.

"But good?" he replied, smirking.

"Very… it had been a while since you had let yourself go like that. I missed it…" she said, nuzzling him under the chin.

"Only you would love something like that…" he murmured, kissing her hairline.

"I'm sure plenty of other women loved or would love it…"

"I have no intention of testing that theory of yours…"

"And I don't have any intention of letting you try it either!"

They gazed at each other and laughed. Damon bent his head down and captured her lips in a searing kiss, which she returned with a moan.

She replaced herself, back to his chest. The Vampire lifted his knees and pressed his feet to the bottom of the marble bathtub. He felt his mate's hands starting to caress the underside of his thighs smoothly.

"Feels good…" he said, as he let one of his hands slipped through her hair affectionately and the second one circled her shoulders. "Could stay like this forever…"

"Mmm…" she answered closing her eyes.

Athena's phone rang. They both groaned.

"Stay here." said the Vampire as he got out of the bath and ran to the bedside table and picked up the phone "It's Slater" and brought it back to his mate.

"Hey Slater! What's up?" said Athena, but with Sapphire's voice, which made Damon's eyebrows rose.

He found it disturbing when she was doing that. She felt his discomfort and winked at him, making him smirk.

"Wait! Wait! Wait! Repeat that again?" she said startled and Damon listened in.

"_I am not joking Sapphire. She is dead. I've triple checked every single sources I had."_ confirmed Slater.

"How the hell did Isobel Flemming get herself killed? She's too cunning to get caught so easily," exclaimed the Shape-shifter.

Damon looked at her eyes big as a saucer; Isobel was dead?

"_Well from what I've heard, her body was a mess… so she did put up a fight. I just don't understand why would someone kill her? I mean, yes she was related to Katherine, but she had so much information to offer,"_ replied the Vampire geek.

"Maybe that is what got her killed…" said Damon. "Knowing too much can be dangerous."

"_Damon has a point!_" retorted Slater; obviously he had heard the man with his Vampire hearing. _"Anyway, I just wanted to inform you about the news! And by the way, thanks again for the safe house; both Emrick and I are very happy about our situation. Seems like every single supernatural historians or Vampire specialists are being hunted down. So yeah, thank you for saving our asses!"_

"My pleasure I assure you! Except that, everything's good on your side?"

"_Perfect! Don't worry, if we get the slightest doubt about anything, you'll be the first to know. Well you or Ric."_

"Well, I have to go and share the news with the gang."

"_No problem…"_ he was about to hang up when he remembered something. _"Oh! Before I forget, beware Jonathan Gilbert."_

"Well we already didn't trust him, but why do you say that?" she asked curiously.

"_The last person who saw Isobel alive; he mentioned to have seen a man with her matching his description."_ he answered.

"Well crap!" said Damon. "Duly noted Slater. Thanks again!"

"Slater?" exclaimed the Shape-shifter, trying to catch his attention before he could hang up.

"_Yep?"_ he replied smiling.

"Rosemary is dead…" she started.

"_I had my suspicions that she would be by now."_ he interjected.

"That's not the whole story…"

"_Oh? What is it then?"_ he asked curiously.

"Rosemary, she had something inside of her. It was weird because she was in charge most of the time, but when that thing, or spell was controlling her, it was like she was blacking out. She was still the same, but like not in control of her body and speech. When we fought her last night, she was just growling and snapping at us, but she never spoke. She was out of control."

"_Well that is very weird… I will try to see what I can find about this. Could it have been voodoo?"_ he suggested.

"No, I've seen voodoo before and this wasn't it. When I tried to read her, something was blocking me, but worst when I did it again while fighting her, I could hear something like a drumming sound repeating the same mantra to attack and kill."

"_Basically, she was sent to her death… But a drumming kinda like sound, that's a first. This is so exciting!"_ replied Slater happily.

"Only you would be joyful about something like that!" said Damon.

"_Hey! I heard that!"_ retorted Slater insulted.

"Don't mind him!" said the Shape-shifter laughing.

"_Well, gotta go and do some research… Bye! To the both of you!"_ he finished before hanging up.

Athena looked to Damon. "I don't think anyone is awake yet. Let's get some more sleep before Rain wakes up…"

"Anything you want…" he said before running to their bedroom and changed the beddings and came back to the Shape-shifter. He took her in his arms and pulled her out of the bath and brought her back to their bed.

As soon as he was lying on his side she got closer to him and pulled her in his arms; kissing the nape of her neck.

"I love you…" he whispered, inhaling deeply as he closed his eyes.

"Love you too, my beautiful Damon…" she replied just as softly before falling asleep.

…

The gang was sitting around the large dining table, ready to talk. Athena and Damon had made it clear at breakfast earlier, that they had important news to share with them, but that they wanted to spend a 'normal' breakfast. They had actually waited until it was time for the two toddlers to take a nap, later in the afternoon, before discussing the event of the previous night.

"So let's just get this all out!" exclaimed Deena. "Is everyone okay today? Anything about yesterday that any of you would like to share?

"Well, before going through the emotional stuff, if needed, I'd like to know what Athena and Damon know that we don't," replied Alaric.

The couple gazed at each other and Damon nodded. He turned to Elena, then to Ric and sighed.

"Isobel was killed," said the Vampire in a neutral voice.

"What? When?" asked Elena and the professor at the same time.

"Slater couldn't tell," answered Athena. "The only thing he was able to find was that she fought back her attacker and that the last person who saw her alive saw her with Jonathan Gilbert… Anyway the man fit the description."

"John would never kill Isobel," said Jeremy.

"I would usually agree with you J on that one, but John has been acting… well like himself. We never really know with him," retorted Elena. "I'm kinda sad for Isobel, but she only meant trouble for me when she was around. But seriously, back to John, he could have turned his back on Isobel at any time."

"True." seconded Bonnie. "Any news from Cleatus?" she asked turning to her cousin.

"No, but he is coming. Don't know when, but I can feel him getting closer. But it doesn't mean that anything bad is coming either." replied Lucy. "So how's everyone doing?"

"Well I think we can close the Isobel chapter." started Alaric. "I'm feeling better. To be honest, yesterday, I didn't like, at all, waiting for something to happen…."

"I totally agree with Alaric," said Lucy. "Next time, even though it's not needed, we should be more to fight against any foes. We were practically all there against the wolf pack, we shouldn't change a working offensive."

"You're right, and I take full responsibility over the decisions that were taken yesterday." said Athena.

"The plan worked though, don't forget about that!" replied Damon, coming to his mate's defense. "Yes it could have been dangerous, but Athena wouldn't have done it if anything bad could have happened to us. But yes, we will be extra careful from now on."

"So, let's recap the Rosemary case," started Stefan "Clearly, she was working for someone more powerful than an Original and who can control a supernatural being easily with simple commands."

"And next time we fight, we have to be more, because this won't clearly get any easier!" finished Caroline.

Everybody nodded.

"So what do we do till we get any news from Cleatus?" asked Bonnie.

"We train as usual!" replied Deena. "Letting our guards down is never an option. So, we train harder."

"Anyway, we have to wait for both Cleatus and Slater's reply so we might as well do something useful." said Damon.

"So, what is it that you wanted to talk about the other day?" inquired Stefan.

"As we all know, things are not going to get any better or easier. Problem is, we don't know what we are fighting against and let's face it, this house will only protect us against Vampire and everyone knows where we live…" started Athena.

"What are you suggesting?" replied Stefan.

"I've been working on this for a little while with Damon now. We have to make sure that everyone is safe, especially the children. The only way to do that is to build a safe house."

"Like the one Cleatus and I made for Athena when we were fighting against Klaus." said Lucy. "I have the perfect spell to protect us and with Bonnie and Zeus, it will be a very strong one."

"O-Okay! Well this is a very big change guys… You should have told us before!" exclaimed Caroline.

"This is something new that Damon and I discuss because of Rosemary. I'm doing this to protect everyone…" started Athena.

"Really?" shot Damon frustrated, interrupting his mate. "Are you guys really complaining about this? That is being childish of you! It's a freaking safe house and Athena shouldn't have to feel bad for that. This is not a suggestion we are making; we first, all of us, moved into the Boarding house for protection, but it isn't enough anymore. Werewolves or Witches can still get in; the safe house will keep anything out."

"She wasn't complaining, but I get what Caroline was trying to say. Sometimes, it feels like you are talking strategies with only few of us and then, we have to follow and keep our mouth shut about it!" said Jeremy, with Elena, Bonnie and Caroline nodding in agreement.

"FINE!" snapped Athena as she stood up. Deena tried to put a comforting hand on her forearm, but the Shape-shifter pulled it back aggressively. "You want the truth? Well I will give you the fucking truth!"

"Athena…" tried to reason Alaric, knowing that a pissed off Athena meant bad news.

"Shut up Ric!" she retorted.

"Calm down…" tried Deena too.

The Shape-shifter turned her gaze to her friend and whatever she had seen in her eyes, made the strawberry blond Vampire go silent.

"You are weak! All of you! And so young above that! You think Katherine was easy to defeat? If it hadn't been for Lucy saving your sorry asses, you would have been forced to release her because of her connection to Elena at the Masquerade Ball. Elijah? We finished your botched job! Do you want me to go on, into the more personal stuff? I could easily name five persons who had to suffer the consequences of your mistakes. I've spent my whole life surviving and fighting; this is what I do best. I don't need to sit around chitchatting about things to do with everyone; I talk with the ones who can give me good insights. Why would I bother myself with stupid comments? I don't think I'm smarter, far from it, but I've been around longer. And don't play the offended card with me; you know I'm right!"

She took a deep breath, passing a hand through her hair.

"If I have the means to build a safe environment for all of us, I will do it without your approval. The safe house will be ready in a month. A group needs a leader, not twenty, only one. We all looked up to Cleatus when he was here; I am the oldest and the strongest now… Any of you would like to take that position? Go ahead, I dare you! None of you would be able to take a decision while putting their emotions aside. Look at Cleatus, he sacrificed everything to save us all, everything! The same man, and leader, who was able to look at me, straight in the eyes, and tell me that everything would be alright even though he knew I would have to face Klaus before being okay. A leader is more than someone who bosses people around; it's someone who knows the difference between doing what needs to be done and what you want to do. And right now, we need to be safe! If I have to use compulsion on every single one of you to get you into that house, I will…"

She stood up angrily and left the dining room, leaving her stunned friends behind. Damon followed her, his face neutral as he exited the room.

"Well…" started Deena uncomfortable. "That was quite… err… direct…"

"She didn't have to throw all this shit in our face…" said Caroline on the verge of tears.

"It was harsh, but true…" murmured Elena. "Look at what I did with Rose; my mistake could have killed anyone of us… She is right; we are not as experienced as she is. Of course, I would love to join in the discussion and it's very frustrating to just stand back and see your friends getting hurt, but at the same time…" she sighed unable to finish.

"I totally agree with her," said Tyler. "I don't feel frustrated about anything at all. She is taking care of everyone and we shouldn't go around complaining about not fighting when she's risking her life to defend us every single time someone is attacking us. She has a child who needs her and yet she still does it to help us. Her plans never failed, why would they start now?"

"Well, I'm not gonna argue with what she said either!" shot Lucy. "I'm used to Cleatus' planning and I have seen him, Deena and Athena working before, they think of everything and every possible scenario. They do get surprised sometimes, but they are good at what they do. Yes, I do get mingled into the strategy talking, but I've been with them longer than anyone here. I know the frustration you are going through, but you have to understand that Athena do think about you when she is planning something. She thinks about your strengths and weakness and hers too. But let's face it; she is the expert when it comes to Vampire, Werewolves and witchcraft. When it comes to Mystic Fall or the Council, who knows the most? Damon. Who is the best to research stuff? Alaric, yet, Slater and Emrick are better so she will always see with them first before deciding anything. She's like that; she cares, a lot, but she has to stay headstrong for everyone and take the decisions that no one will be able to take. She will listen to you if you have something against a plan, but in the case of the safe house, it wasn't fair for any of you to argue with her on it. Please, next time; just think before you say something."

"I think we should all cool it down, maybe go outside, whatever, before anything else. We all need a break right now…" suggested Deena.

Everyone agreed; some went back to their rooms others went in the city to calm down or simply think about what had happened.

…

The eldest Salvatore brother found his mate lying face down in their bedroom. He had been very surprised by her reaction; she had been brutally honest with them. Even though he knew she hadn't said the things she had said to hurt him, the comment about Elijah had hit a sore chord and he felt bad.

"I'm sorry…" mumbled the Shape-shifter against the mattress.

She knew him too well. But he heard something in her voice that he hated; sadness. He turned her around slowly and saw that she was hiding her face so that he wouldn't see her tears.

"Hey…" he said worriedly whipping her tears away. "It's okay…"

"I should have stayed calm down there… It was just too much and I couldn't stop myself. I-I didn't mean to hurt you… I'm so sorry Damon…"

"Don't cry please," he begged her as he held her tightly in his arms. "I'm not mad at you; what you said was the true. And you know me, if you hadn't snapped at them; I would have eventually done it and I would have been meaner for sure!"

"Thank you Damon…"

"No problem… Come here…" he said lifting up her chin before kissing her tenderly.

He held her close until Rain woke up and they stayed alone, the three of them, until it was time for diner.

At night, everything was settled and the gang went to bed with a smile on their face.

Only one thing was left to do, tell Jeremy and Elena about their staying indoors. This was a call for disaster…

_~ February 19th 2012 – 4am ~_

_Lucy woke up to her daughter's laughers. As soon as she was out of bed, the scenery around her changed and she found herself in a field of long green herbs. She looked down at herself; she was wearing a simple yellow sundress. She followed the sound of Cleatus and their daughter having fun._

_When she found them, she saw Cleatus holding Deana's hands up as he tried to help her walk around; lifting her up from time to time and swirling her around, before putting her back down._

_She just stayed there not daring to talk or move in fear a breaking this perfect moment. But Cleatus knew she was there. He picked up his daughter and they smiled at each other._

"_Goodnight child…" he said in a gentle voice, but very powerful one as he put Deana to sleep. He gave her one last kiss on her soft hair and sent her back home. He turned to the Bennett Witch. "Witaj moja miłość. How are you doing?"_

"_Doing good… As you saw, it was quite eventful over the last weeks. But things a good now…"_

"_Yes. I saw that. I'm glad that it was Athena who put them back in their place and not Damon. Most of them still see Damon as reckless, instead of someone calculating his moves, and they would have fought on, not listening."_

"_She needs to be careful though; I wouldn't want for her to kill herself in order to save us…"_

"_That's why Damon is good for her; he wouldn't let her do it. She's been very open with him since the beginning and he probably knows her as much as I do."_

"_You're right. And you, how are you handling everything?"_

"_As best as I can. As for your problem with Rosemary, I can't say much and don't know much, yet, anyway. The only thing I can say is that whatever it was, it can easily be destroyed. You will just have to find a way to do it without killing the person who's controlled in the same process."_

"_Thank you. That is actually helpful. I was so scared of someone getting caught… Now, at least I know that there is a way to save that person without killing him or her. So… anything new coming?"_

"_Yes, but it won't be that hard to get rid of the problem, but please, be very careful. Behind this easiness, lies something terrifying…" he said seriously, concern lacing his voice._

"_We'll be careful Cleatus." she reassured him._

"_Good…" he gave her a sexy smile. "Now that this is done… I think we can occupy ourselves with something more… entertaining… don't you think?"_

"_Mm! Mm…" she said before she kissed him deeply._

_After that, it was only moans, thrusts, groans, kissing, passion, and sweat filling the field…_

…

Athena, no Zeus, was stuck in a vision, and he couldn't get out. The pain was excruciating and he could barely sustain it. He moved his hands frantically, but couldn't do anything. Breathing was getting harder to do; he was suffocating.

"No… please, no…" he begged crying out loud. "Don't… I'm… begging you…"

He could feel from far away someone trying to pull him out of the vision. Probably Damon, but it was too late, his whole body was shaking and soon, the movement became erratic and he felt Damon starting to panic.

"You can't… Come back to me… please…" the Druid said as tears fell from his eyes.

"Dammit! Wake up!" yelled Damon and the sound of his voice finally got through the Druid.

"Not this… DAMON!" cried out Zeus as he sat up, shifting midway into Athena. Her breathing was hard and fast as she pressed her hand to her heart.

This was bad…

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** _Loved or hated the chapter? What happened with Zeus just there? Please share your thoughts with me! :3 And Happy belated Thanks Giving! _

Translation:  
><em><strong>Witaj moja miłość<strong> - _Hello my love**_  
><em>**


	13. 11 The moment I said it

**Disclaimer:** This story is based on characters and situations from _The Vampire Diaries_ series created by _L. J. Smith_ and developed by _Kevin Williamson/CW Network_. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringements are intended. OCs are all mine, please ask before using them anywhere.

**Beta Reader:** The lovely _OnyxvanGem_

**A/N:** _My belated Thanks Giving gift for you all guys! :3 Cause my beta reader is AMAZING! Thanks for reading, sticking by and reviewing! (I'll be answering reviews later, after I've slept some more... 5hours of sleep isn't enough!) Love ya ~ Meye_

* * *

><p><strong><span>The moment I said it<span>**

_~ Monday – March 12th 2012 ~_

The safe house would finally be ready in a week and everyone was happy about it. They would have to put the protection spell on the house that Lucy had learned from Cleatus in order to protect, at that time, Athena and Rain. The only problem left was to break the news to Elena and Jeremy about guarding the toddlers and staying indoors. Jeremy would have to be home schooled by Alaric and Athena; which would clearly disagree with the young man. But it was for their protection; there wasn't any other way.

Last night had been hard for both her and Damon; probably more for the Vampire if she had to be honest with herself, but she felt a little bit better now that she had gotten everything out of her system.

"Hi Odelle!" exclaimed a male voice, which startled the Shape-shifter out of her reveries.

"Hello Chad!" replied Odelle to the first student who had entered her class for the next hour.

Soon, more and more students were filling her classroom, getting ready for their French lesson. She winked at Jeremy when he smiled at her upon sitting at his desk. When everyone was at their place, she closed the door and came back to the front of the class.

"Good afternoon everyone! I'll be giving you back last week's redaction." she said, picking up the pile of paper on her desk and went around the class rows, giving back the students their homework. "Just wanted to congratulate everyone for your work; everyone passed, lowest is 73%. Good job guys!"

She went back to her desk and leaned on it.

"So today, we are going to see something entirely new. Over the last month, we explored the weather, home, family and friends. Now, what I want is for you to create. What I mean by that is that I want you to learn the terms of the romantic world. Love, passion, hate, fever, heartbreak, treachery, bravery… I don't want an over the top story, but I simply want for you to write about intense feelings. This will be your next assignment, a 500 words dissertation. But for now let's give you some vocabulary."

She stood up, turned to the blackboard and started to write words in English. The class knew the drill by now; she would write words and see if any of them would be able to translate them into French.

The whole class jumped when a knock came at the door. Odelle went to open it and the principal came in with a young Afro-American.

"Miss St-Amand, this is the new transferred student we talked about in our last teachers' meeting." he turned to the students. "Class, please meet newly transferred student, Luca Martin. Make him feel welcome in Mystic Fall. Thank you Miss St-Amand." he finished and left the classroom.

Odelle smiled to Luca and extended her hand. "Hello Luca, please call me Odelle."

They shook hands and the Shaper-shifter felt something creeping up her spine, danger, but above everything else, Warlock. But she kept her cool as if nothing had happened. She indicated for him to sit in the third row at a free desk.

"_À quel niveau de français es-tu Luca?_" she asked the young man, hoping that he would understand her.

"Err… _Je suis moyen…_" he replied unsure.

"Good! Good! That wasn't too hard, was it?" she said smiling. "Now, shall we continue? Luca, I'd like for you to stay after class so that I can evaluate your French level properly, is that okay with you?"

"Yes, of course."

…

When the class started to work on their assignment, Odelle caught Jeremy's attention. The Shape-shifter made sure that the young human would understand her message to stay close after class. She didn't know who this Martin boy was, but she didn't want to take unnecessary risk with him.

_~ March 17th 2012 ~_

"Aw! Come on Odelle!" said Damon almost begging his mate. "It's just a game!"

"And humiliate myself by playing against you? No thank you!" replied the Shape-shifter. "I've seen you play with Tyler and there is no way that I'm playing with you love. I have more self-esteem than that."

"Wait!" he said holding up his hands in defense. "It was Tyler! I would never do that to you…"

"Damon, I'm rubbish at playing pool…" she finished trying to get away from the pool table.

"But that's the point…" he said a huge grin on his face while doing his sexy eyes thing. "I could… hum… show you how to play…"

Odelle looked at the Vampire and smiled coyly at him. "Aw! Now I see where this is going… Fine! I'll play!"

"Great!" replied Damon excitedly. He placed the balls, took a stick and looked at his mate. "Come over here my pretty lady, so that I show you how to play…"

He put the stick in her hand and she bent forward over the table, trying to position herself as best as she could. The Vampire draped himself over her, placing his hands above hers and not so subtly pressed his groin against her ass.

"See, that is what I call playing a very good game of pool…" murmured Damon against her ear and she shivered. "Now focus on the white ball." he continued "Now pull back the cue and when you hit the ball, give it a quick and hard push… like this." he finished mimicking the movement with his pelvis, making the Shape-shifter moan softly.

"Damon…" she said half excited and half reproachfully, but did as he had said and two balls actually went into the pockets.

They kept on playing, but the more they played the harder it was for them to keep their hands to themselves. Talking about hard, Odelle could feel Damon's erection pressing quite subjectively against her and she would have loved nothing more than for him to take her right now on the table.

"Fuck…" whispered Damon. "You smell so good… Maybe this wasn't the best idea…"

"Let's take a break then!" suggested Odelle feeling all hot and bothered.

They ordered a drink and chose a booth at the end of the Mystic Grill, not wanting to be disturbed. Damon let Odelle pass in front of him, wanting nothing more than to check her out as she walked slowly. She was wearing a mid-thigh black smock dress, ruffled at the hem and with metallic gold embellishments. The Vampire couldn't wait to get her out of it and ravish her.

They sat down in front of each other, drinking silently for a minute until Odelle startled when she felt Damon's naked foot going up her inner thigh so slowly. She tried to close her legs, but the Vampire used his other foot to keep them open.

"Damon…" she warned him.

"Ssh… Just enjoy…" he whispered as his foot kept going up.

"You're an ass… fuck…" she moaned softly when his toes reached her lace panties. "Damon… not… now… damn…"

"You're so beautiful, all flushed and horny like that. I'm so turned on right now." he growled lowly he kept his caress over her undies.

He increased the pressure and could feel how drenched she was getting by the second.

"Oh fuck! Damon…" she murmured biting her lips.

He bent forward, took her by the neck and brought her face to his. "I wish I could see your beautiful face, my Athena…" he whispered, warm breath against her lips, before kissing her fervently as he speeded up his fondling; and swallowed her groan with his mouth.

The Shape-shifter's hand went to his arm and she gripped it tightly as she came under his touch, trembling. He kept brushing his foot against her panties as she rode her orgasm. He pricked her tongue with his left canine and drew some of her blood into his mouth carefully; making sure that no one would see the blood play. He barely pulled back his head just so that their lips would still brush against each other if they talked.

"So… it wasn't that bad… I could eat you up… You smell divinely…" he said in a low and raspy voice.

"You're lucky I feel very relaxed right now or I would be kicking your butt right this moment young man!" she replied as if she was in a trance.

"Love it when you get all bossy with me… kinda kinky!" he said pulling his tongue out to her.

"And after that you dare say I'm the one who' incorrigible?" she laughed and the Vampire smirked.

Suddenly, Damon lost his smile and tensed up. She looked at him confused, until he mouthed; _'We have company'_. The Shape-shifter turned around and saw her new student Luca Martin with an older man, who was probably his father, coming their way. So much for a day off!

"Hi Mrs. St-Amand!" said Luca smiling at his French teacher.

"Hello Luca! You know you can call me Odelle; Mrs. St-Amand… sounds like an old lady!" she replied, winking at him.

Damon couldn't believe how good of an actress she was. They were eating every single word she was throwing at them. Looking at her like that, he understood why people were so blinded by her; why they all thought she was this nice and innocent human. He had to suppress a laugh while observing her acting skills. She hadn't liked her first contact with the boy in her class and had sworn that he would be bad news. Obviously, this wasn't a genuine visit, it was clearly meant to learn something about them; which he hated.

"Sorry, most of the teachers, but for you and Alaric wants to be called like that. It's confusing." said Luca, scratching the back of his head.

"Yes, I get that a lot." she replied laughing. She turned to the older man and extended her hand. "I'm taking a guess. You are Luca's father?"

"You guessed that right. Doctor Jonas Martin, nice to mean you, Odelle." answered the man as he shook her hand.

The moment their hands touched, Odelle knew he was trying to know what species she was. Sadly for him, and just like every single Witch or Warlock, cause this is what he was, touching her would feel like being in contact with a human who had a strong aura. But above everything else, she knew he was trying to do a spell by touching her, she didn't know what, but it would failed miserably with the pendant she was wearing.

Just like she had thought, Jonas gazed confusedly at said pendant.

He let go of her hand. "This is a beautiful piece of jewellery you are wearing there…" he said casually.

"It was a gift from a friend. It's apparently to protect me against foes." she finished and laughed. "I'm only wearing it because I find it beautiful."

"Aw! I see. Well, it was a very generous gift from your friend…" said the Warlock, a knowing glee in his eyes.

"Yes it was." She turned her head to Damon. "This is Damon Salvatore."

The Vampire squeezed the Warlock hand more than it was necessary.

"I'm the boyfriend," replied Damon, making sure to get the message across the whole room; Odelle was off limits, whatever the Warlock's intentions were.

Jonas raised his eyebrows, obviously he had felt the man as a Vampire, but he simply nodded. "So, my son tells me that you are a great teacher!"

"The best…" cut in Damon.

Odelle slapped his arm affectionately. "I try to make the course as interesting as it can be. Learning a new language is never easy, especially French, so I love for my class to be fun. Let say that I play the entertainer while the students play the audience. You just need to keep their attention as long as you can."

"Well you are doing wonders with my son, so thank you." replied Mr. Martin.

"It is my job. We only did two classes together, but Luca is a very hard working student and he is a great model for the most… mmm, let's say _'challenging'_ students. So what brought you to Mystic Fall so late into the school year?"

'_Shape-shifter 1, Warlock 0'_; thought Damon. His mate was very good at the turning tables; Jonas would probably realize too late that she had asked him a very personal question.

"A contract in the city and luckily for me I was able to bring Luca with me" answered the man.

"That's great!" she exclaimed before looking at her watch. "Well we have to go now. Not that we don't enjoy your company, but today is our 'No baby' day! So we have to move on to our next activity of the day." She smiled at the two Martin's.

"Of course, I understand perfectly. It was a pleasure to meet you!" said Jonas. "Have a good day!"

"Bye Odelle!" added Luca and the two Warlocks walked to the other side of the Mystic Grill to order food.

Damon and Odelle exited the place. The Vampire put his hand around her hip and pulled his mate closer as they walked toward his car.

"Nicely played love!" murmured Damon against her ear before giving it a peck.

"Thank you!" she said turning her face to his making a kissing noise.

The Vampire laughed and kissed her. It took a few seconds and the simple thing turned into a kissing session between the two mates. Damon's hands slid up her thighs and she pulled back breathless.

"We are not doing this in the middle of a parking!" said a frustrated Odelle.

"Fine! Let' go them, cause I don't know how long I'll be able to hold myself…" replied Damon.

They upped in his car and drove away.

Half way to the safe house, Damon stopped the car in a deserted part of the side road. He moved back his driver seat and looked at his mate with a knowing smile. Odelle shifted into Athena and almost jumped onto his laps on the driver side. She unzipped his fly and pulled out his throbbing erection.

"I want you so badly… You still smell delicious…" he growled sexily.

The Shape-shifter took the leaking member with one hand and used the free one to push her panties to the side. Then, she aligned it to her core and pushed down, feeling his big erection stretching her insides.

"Yessss…" she murmured against his lips. "Fuck me Damon!"

The Vampire grabbed her ass and moved her up and down to meet his thrusts using his supernatural speed. At one point, Athena pushed the seat down and started to fuck herself frantically on Damon's erection.

"So beautiful… and all mine…" rasped the Vampire.

"Damon… more… please… I need you… I…" she started, but didn't get to finish before Damon was switching their positions and pounded into her like a mad man, making the whole car shake.

He bit down on her jugular and drank her blood languidly as he kept pushing into her like a beast in heat. Athena crossed her ankles over his arse; pulling him in deeper.

After a moment, Damon pulled out and switched again their position as he lied on his back with the Shape-shifter on top of him. She bent down and took her mate's whole erection in her mouth.

"Athena…" growled the Vampire as he took the woman's head between his hands and started to fuck her mouth. "Yess…" he moaned coming down her throat.

She pulled back a little, not to choke and drank everything he gave her. When she was done, she lay on top of him, trying to catch her breath as Damon caressed the small of her back.

"Feel so much better now…" whispered the Vampire.

"Mmm…" acquiesced Athena as her hand slid up and down Damon's still covered chest.

Damon let out a long sigh. "So what do we do with the Martins?"

"We wait and see… We shouldn't go on the offensive if not needed; let's keep our guards up and simply ready to attack instead…" She turned her face to his chest. "The day is almost over already…" she said, pouting.

"There is still plenty of time to play!" he replied, eyebrows rising subjectively.

"The car is uncomfortable…" she whined.

"Well… we could always stop at the next house and I could compel the owner to let us fuck on their sofa… What do you think?" he suggested.

"Are you crazy!" she replied looking at him. "Eew! I am not fucking in someone else's dirt!"

Damon couldn't hold it inside and laughed out loud. That's why he loved that woman so much; she wasn't angry at the idea of compelling strangers, no, it was the idea of fucking in said stranger's house that repulsed her.

"Athena… You're amazing!" he said between laughed.

"What?" replied the Shape-shifter confused.

"Come on, my lady, I'll drive you to the prettiest hotel there is around here!" he answered.

"Now you're talking, how to romance a girl 101!" she replied smiling.

They put back their clothes, sat back in their seats, and drove off to the nearest hotel…

_~ March 21st 2012 ~_

Alaric made his way up the stairs lazily. The day at school had been both hard and boring. The students had done their latest history test the whole class period, while a bored out of his mind Alaric had had to correct their assignment. He still couldn't understand how some students could fail such a simple homework assignment when they had access to Internet.

He opened the door to his and Deena bedroom and let his bag drop to the floor.

"Hard day?" came the Vampire's voice from the left.

He turned in her direction and was surprised to see her lying in a hammock.

"Yeah… How was yours?" he asked going to her. "You bought a hammock? I can't believe it!" he finished with a laugh.

"It was… well… meh! And of course I bought a hammock! I missed the one we had back in Mystic Fall and since we had the place in our bedroom…" she replied with a grin. She brought him forward and kissed him.

"Mm… So I'm gonna hit the shower, grab something to eat and come back here!"

"See you later lover!"

…

Alaric came back about 45 minutes later. When he entered, only the bedside salt lamp was lighting the room. He looked to his left again and saw Deena still lying in the hammock, but there was a big difference from earlier; she was naked with an inviting smile dancing on her lips.

"Hey there…" she murmured.

He walked to the Vampire and lied down beside her before rolling her on top of him. She mounted him as they started kissing passionately. He let his hands roam over her body until he caught her arse cheeks and give it a tight squeeze.

"Are we christening the hammock…?" asked Alaric, voice all raspy as he licked and kissed her neck.

"I'd love that… quite a lot actually…" she said working her hands down to his pants.

She unbuttoned his pants before unzipping it.

"Commando… You surprise me every day Mr. Saltzman!" she murmured lustfully as she realized he wasn't wearing any underwear upon grabbing his erection.

"Well, I need to keep the flame in this couple, don't I?" he replied coyly before groaning as she masturbated him in a firm grasp.

"Is that so… Well, you won't hear any complain from me, I assure you…"

"Yeah?" he said before plunging two fingers inside the Vampire's wet opening.

"Yess… Fuck the foreplay, I want you now Ric!"

"As you wish… Take whatever you want Deena…"

And she did. She pushed aside his fingers and let his stiff member slid inside her as she moaned. She lifted her pelvis and as she was about to bring it down, Alaric lifted his up, meeting her thrust and the Vampire bit her lips to stop a scream from escaping her mouth.

Alaric put his hands on her hips as they found a rhythm that brought them both a maximum of pleasure.

"More…" begged the Vampire and Ric complied by speeding up his tempo.

He grabbed her by the hair and pulled her to him before kissing her fervently. When he was about to pull back, she held his head in place and kissed him again with the same intensity as he had…

…

The couple was back in their bed; Alaric on his back while Deena was half draped over him, her head lying on his chest as they both looked at their linked hands.

The man sighed sated. "Have you ever thought about the future?"

"What do you mean?" she asked unsure of the meaning behind his question.

"I mean you and me… us… Do you think of us sometimes?" he clarified.

"All the time… Why do you ask now?" she replied.

"Cause I think it's time we talked seriously about our future together…"

Deena looked up at him eyes wide. "You mean…?"

"Yes…" he simply answered calmly in a whisper.

_~ March 23rd 2012 ~_

Odelle was picking up her paperwork in her office when she realized she had forgotten something; her favourite set of rainbow coloured pens, in her classroom. She sighed. She went back to her class to pick them up. Something felt wrong, it was in the air; she couldn't pinpoint what it was and it was stressing her.

She was looking in her desk's drawer when she felt someone at the door, spying on her.

"Whoever it is, I don't really appreciate being stalked by unknown people," she said looking at the door and irritated look on her face. "Please come in."

Luca came into view, looking at little bit surprised to have be found so fast.

"How did you know I was there?" exclaimed the young Warlock.

"I have a really good 6th sense!" replied the Shape-shifter smiling, while tapping the side of her nose with one finger. This wasn't right, why would Luca be spying on her. "How can I help you Luca? Do you have any problem with your homework?"

"No. But I was actually hoping that you could help me with something." he answered, an enigmatic smile dancing on his lips as he looked at her neck.

At that precise moment she knew he meant bad news; she wasn't wearing her pendant. She hoped for his sake that he wouldn't do anything rash. But it was too late when she felt a huge wave of magic coming her way; a sleeping spell and surprisingly a strong one, but still totally ineffective against her. She saw his face contorting in concentration as he poured more power into his spell.

"Is that all you've got Warlock?" she asked. "Why would you need me asleep? I'd like to know the answer to that…"

"W-What, but how…" replied Luca as fear started to creep up in his eyes. "You don't have your pendant on you!"

"Did you wait until everyone was gone to come in here hoping to catch me unguarded?" she asked bemused by the situation. "If you are here, you are certainly working against my friends and I; that means you KNOW who the Salvatore brothers are… Do you really think I would have been left unprotected like this?"

"I-I don't know what you're talking about!" tried to deny the young Warlock.

"Really? You want me to believe that? Why would they send a child? What am I to you anyway?" she tried to reason.

Luca kept quiet. And something just clicked into the Shape-shifter's mind.

"I was going to be leverage against Damon," she stated flatly. "You were going to use me to get to Damon, is that it?" she asked getting angry.

Luca did the only thing he could do; he lifted his hands a started to attack her spell after spell, but none of them were working.

"And more, you dare attacking me?" snapped Odelle at him enraged.

To the Warlock surprised, she changed into another woman. As soon as he was able to feel her energy, he knew he was in trouble and got terrified; she was a Vampire who could apparently resist his power without break a sweat. How could a Vampire, hide herself as a human? He had never heard of anything like this before.

"Oh! Luca, life and appearance can be deceiving. There can't be such an easy solution. There is more to me than a simple black or white answer."

"W-Who are you then?" he demanded voice trembling and fear keeping him in place.

"Tsk! Tsk! Tsk! No sneak peek, young man! We were so prepared for you and your father. What do you think happened to the ones before you? They were crushed Luca Martin, just like you and your dad will be." she said, he voice menacing.

Luca finally snapped out of it and sent the biggest blast he could to the Vampire before running away. But his attempt was futile as she caught up with him in a mere second. She turned him to her.

"You know what's so sad? You are the thirds one to attack us, and the third ones who could have been such great allies…" she sighed. "You should have learned to thrust the right kind of person…"

And just like that, she snapped his neck and the Warlock fell to the floor. She closed his eyes. She gathered all her stock and when she was done, she changed into Zeus using his power to mask the boy's body. He looked outside; no one was in sight. He picked up the body and went to Odelle's car and placed Luca in the trunk. He went back inside, changed into Odelle again and went back to the car before driving away.

She drove to a part of the Mystic Fall forest where no one went. She changed into Sapphire and buried the body silently as tears fell from her eyes. She didn't feel remorse over killing the young Warlock, but pain over seeing another, probably innocent, person dying from collateral damages.

When she was done, she turned back into Odelle and drive off to the safe house.

…

When she entered the house, shifting into Athena, Damon was almost on top of her; she had forgotten to call or check her message. Looking at her watch, she realized that she was over an hour late.

"Where the hell were you?" asked the Vampire worriedly.

"Luca Martin is dead," she answered, leaning on his hard chest.

Damon embraced her tightly, kissing her hair. "What went wrong?" he said calmly.

"Can we talk about this in our bedroom, please?"

"Of course, come." he replied, pulling gently at her hand.

They passed Ric on their way up and Damon shook his head and mouthed _'Later'_ to the professor. They entered their room and sat on the bed; the Vampire's back against the headboard while his mate sat between his opened legs, her back to his chest.

"So, tell me…" he encouraged softly.

And she told him what had happened.

"I see…" replied Damon when she was done. "So Jonas Martin will be coming after you and me…"

"Probably, we will have to be extra careful. He could use Alaric, Elena, or Jeremy like that too…" she said turning her face to his.

The Vampire nodded and pulled her closer for a kiss.

They would see the end of this together, no matter what…

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** _Trouble! I smell BIG trouble... Hope you enjoyed the early chapter! xoxo ~ Meye_

Translation:  
><strong><em>À quel niveau de français es-tu Luca?<em>** - At what level of French are you at Luca?  
><strong><em>Je suis moyen…<em>** - I'm not too bad...


	14. 12 An unfinished life

**Disclaimer:** This story is based on characters and situations from _The Vampire Diaries_ series created by _L. J. Smith_ and developed by _Kevin Williamson/CW Network_. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringements are intended. OCs are all mine, please ask before using them anywhere.

**Beta Reader:** The lovely _OnyxvanGem_

**A/N:** _It's Saturday, no wait, it's not! But it still means only one thing; new chapter... Thank you again for the reviews! Always make me happy to see how much you enjoy the ride! And a special thanks to Haruka83 who's been so supportive! :D Yeah I kinda felt like giving you an early chapter since I had it in hands! ;)_

* * *

><p><strong><span>An unfinished life<span>**

It was 2:45pm, when Jonas received a call from his son. Luca had told him that he had gone around the school ground, making sure that no member of the gang, but Odelle St-Amand, were left inside the school. He had been about to go and pick up the French teacher, but had phoned his father just in case there had been a change of plan. The Warlock had told his son to be watchful, but also extremely careful when facing the woman. Jonas was still unsure about the pendant she was wearing; was it a simple jewel or a protective charm against supernatural foes. Luca had promised to be careful and Jonas had gone back to his books.

He read.

It was 5pm when Jonas realized that his son was taking a lot of time to bring back Odelle St-Amand. He had been concentrating so much on spell to control Vampires the whole afternoon; that he hadn't seen the time fly by. His only guess was that his son must have brought the girl to their master's home, before coming back here. Obviously no complications could have occurred, everyone, but Alaric would have been away from the school.

He waited.

It was 6:30pm, when Jonas started to think that Luca had not taken his task seriously. He called his son, but it went straight to his voicemail. What was his son playing at? He couldn't have chosen any worse time to make jokes.

He grew impatient.

It was 8pm, when Jonas came to the realisation that something wasn't right. He had called his son many times, but no answer. He finally understood that his son was in danger when he got a sms from their master asking if they had finally caught the girl. Jonas took out one of his son's braided bracelets and did a locating spell; nothing happened.

He panicked.

He tried to do the spell over and over again, but to no avail. Where was his son? If he had been unconscious, the spell would still have worked.

"No…" he murmured as he was hit with a possible scenario for his son's silence.

His son couldn't be dead. He had already lost his daughter and was still trying to get her back, but losing his son was too much to bear. He opened one of his grimoires looking for the right locating spell. When he found it, he pulled out all the ingredients he needed and when he was finally ready; he did the spell.

"Luca…" he cried out when the spell worked, showing the boy's location.

His son was dead and had probably been buried in the forest of Mystic Fall. He took his keys and ran out to his car. He drove as fast as he could, swearing vengeance on whoever had killed his son. It had to be Damon Salvatore, who else could have been able to kill his son? The Bennett witches had too much heart to be murderers. So only the oldest Salvatore brother had the spirit of a killer… He couldn't think of anyone else.

When he couldn't drive on, he parked his car and walked about 100 feet from where the spell had placed his son. He walked a few more steps before he saw the bump on the ground. With a couple of moves of his hands and the right incantation, the soil moved away, showing the dead body of his only son. Without a word, he pulled out Luca from the hole and brought him back to his car. He laid him on the backseat and drove off just as fast as he had come to his apartment.

He sat his son on a chair and pulled his head up. His son's eyes had reopened during the move and were now wide opened and even though some dirt was still covering tiny parts of them, Jonas could see the fear in Luca's eyes. He let go gently of his head and marched to his bookshelves to retrieve a very old looking book. He kept searching until he finally stumbled on the right spell. He repeated the words in his head a few times and went back to his dead son. He put his hands on each side of his son's face and lifted his head again. He placed his thumbs right above the opened eyes.

"_Averte tempore… Videam…_" he chanted in a low, but resolved voice, closing his eyes and focusing more and more energy on the spell.

He was hit with visions of his son facing a confidant Odelle who seemed unfazed by the younger Warlock. He could feel his deceased son shock at her knowledge of what he was, but most of all his growing fear of the unknown as he stood in front of a human who knew too much. Luca had tried to attack her with more spells, but the action had only enraged the normally sweet and gentle woman.

Jonas almost broke out of his concentration when Odelle changed into another woman, no, a Vampire. The panic in his son was breaking his heart and enraging him by the second. Was that her secret? She had been a Vampire disguised as a human, but that was impossible. Who could have the kind of powers that could hide a Vampire? The same thought had crossed his son's mind and to the surprised of both father and son; the Vampire had answered the question; saying that there was more to her than such a simple answer.

She had then told his son that just like the previous enemies her gang had faced, they, the Martin, would be crushed. Luca had tried to run away, but she had caught up with him in a second and told him, that they could have been great allies if they had learned to trust the right persons. That had been the last thing his son had heard before his neck had been snapped. Everything went dark…

Jonas roared as he let go of his son's head. He had to know what she was, so he picked up his phone and called the only person who he knew could help.

"_Mister Martin, why are you calling me?_" asked John Gilbert sounding quite irritated.

"I don't have patience for your arrogance, Gilbert!" snapped the warlock back at the other man. "My son was killed by the Salvatore's bitch and I want to know if you were aware that she was a supernatural creature?" asked the man angrily.

"_The doppelganger is a sup…_" started John.

"I know that!" cut in Jonas. "I'm talking about the French teacher."

"_W-What? No, that's impossible…_" replied John in total shock.

"I was able to see my son's last moments and she changed from Odelle to another woman, a Vampire. She answered Luca's unspoken question; I don't know if it was coincidence or some powers she had. Neither did my son's powers have any effect on her. Could she be a _Vitch_? A hybrid I mean."

"_Wait… What did the Vampire looked like?_" asked John anxiously.

"I would say she looked like an Egyptian woman," answered the Warlock.

"_No… This can't be. Could we have been tricked since the beginning?"_ said John, talking to himself. _"Let me make a phone call and I'll call you back right away._" said John before hanging up.

Jonas took another glance at his son and broke down in tears, holding the boy to his chest.

…

As soon as he had hung up, John had dialled another number.

"_Yes?_" said the woman on the other side. "_I hope you have good news for me?_"

"Maybe. Luca Martin is dead, but his father made quite the confusing discovery."

"_Tell me!_" she urged him.

"Odelle St-Amand changed into Sapphire and killed Luca. He also told me that she was unaffected by his powers. Do you have any ideas about what she could be?" asked John intrigued.

"_DAMMIT!_" she screamed on the other side before throwing the phone away like a spoiled brat.

John could hear her raged out at everything and stuff breaking. After maybe five minutes, she picked up the phone again.

"_The Alpha wolf, the Witch who probably sealed Klaus away, the human and the Vampire are the same person. I cannot believe it; a Shape-shifter in Mystic Fall and helping those imbeciles._"

"A what? I thought those were legends…"

"_I haven't heard of them in a very long time, but whatever, she needs to be dealt with. But her guards will be fully up now. That specie is very special; they have amazing instincts and the older they get, the harder they are to kill. They can only be affected by supernatural stronger than them that they haven't assimilated yet._"

"So, what do we do?" asked John out of word.

"_We cannot attack her directly. Good thing is, now I know that the child is indeed hers and Damon Salvatore's. That is probably why the child is so heavily protected. Shape-shifters are very rare to find these days, and for many, having one under its command is an extremely powerful weapon. Use the warlock. If he just lost his son, he will want to avenge him, make him take Damon Salvatore for us. With him on our side, your job will be easier and we can also use him as bait for the Shape-shifter. I can't wait to see what she looks like!_"

"So we stick to the plan?" asked John, confirming his assumptions.

"_Yes, but with a minor detour. She is the strongest link of their team for sure and as long as she is alive, I assure you that they will kill anything and anyone that we send their way. I will come to Mystic Fall, please make sure to prepare everything for my arrival!_"

"I'll make sure to transmit your message to Jonas."

"_Perfect._" she finished and hung up.

…

At least 30 minutes had passed when his phone rang again. During that time, he had screamed and cried so much until finally only rage had been left inside of him. The feeling of emptiness was eating at his soul and he knew that, even if it killed him, he would get back his daughter and avenge his son.

"What took you so long?" he said upon answering his phone.

"_I had more important things to attend to,_" replied John his sneer obvious in his voice.

"What did you learn?" pressed on the Warlock.

"_The woman is a Shape-shifter and that is why your son's powers had no effect on her. Now, SHE wants you to get Damon Salvatore for her. And when I say 'get', I don't mean killing the bastard. You have to kidnap him and make sure he is docile by the time you get him back to me._"

"If I do this, will I finally get to see my daughter? And how long do I have?" asked the desperate man.

"_Yes. You will get to see her, as for how long; I know that getting Damon alone won't be an easy task and we haven't find where their new house is, I will leave you maximum two weeks to get him. If you fail, your precious Greta shall join her brother soon enough. Did I make myself clear?_"

"Crystal." replied Jonas angrily.

"_Oh and Jonas? Try not getting killed!_" he retorted before closing his phone.

_~ March 29th 2012 ~_

Athena was looking at her sleeping son. She took in a deep, but trembling breath and exhaled shakily. She bent down and kissed the top of his head, before pulling back. She caressed his silky hair, smiling lightly.

"I love you so much my little man…" she whispered.

She straightened up and walked to the window. She rested her hands on the glass before stretching her arms and bent her upper body forward. Her head was lying between her arms as she tried to hold back her tears. The repercussions of killing Luca Martin had yet to fall on their heads.

She brought a hand to her heart, she could still feel the pain; was she really going to die? She stood up again and laid her forehead on the cold glass. It was hard to think with her emotions in such turmoil.

She felt a presence behind her and her hair being moved to the side, exposing the nape of her neck. Soon arms warped around her waist and she was pulled against a hard chest, before soft lips rested on the back of her neck.

"Please, stop thinking about it." he murmured. "We cannot lose hope, not now…"

"Since when are you so optimistic?" she asked.

"Since one of us needs to be. I need you Athena; it's just as hard for me as it is for you. I can't fight this alone," he answered, turning her to him.

Tears were escaping the Shape-shifter's eyes as Damon put his hands to each side of her face. He brushed his thumbs against her cheeks, wiping away her tears before kissing her gently pouring in all the love he felt for her. Soon enough, he deepened the kiss as his tongue passed through her lips. He let his hands slid down until he grabbed her ass and gave it a tight squeeze before pulling her up. A groan escaped her mouth into his as they kept on kissing.

"Bedroom…" she whispered between kisses.

He did as she had asked, closing the door to Rain and Deana's nursery on his way to their room. As soon as they were close to the bed, Damon let her down and they disrobed each other rapidly. When they were done, Athena upped on the bed and went to lay on her back, legs spread and feet touching the mattress in invitation. The Vampire crawled to her until he was on his knees between her tights.

"I can't wait…" he whispered, eyes black as night.

"Then don't…" she replied her voice filled with lust.

Damon put his hand at the small of her back and lifted her lower body up. He used his free hand to align himself at her entrance and entered her in one hard push; which made the two lovers moan at the feeling of being filled and filling. Athena used her feet and hands to ground herself and started to undulate her body; seeking out more sensations from their lovemaking. Damon smiled down devilishly at his mate before he growled sexily at her.

"More Damon…" she begged between moans.

He let go of the small of her back and took both her forearms and pulled her up to him. The Shape-shifter put her legs around her mate's waist; crossing them at the ankles. She let one of her hand slip into his black hair and the other went over his shoulder to hold onto his scapula.

Damon grabbed her hips and started to move her up and down to meet his thrusts. Their gaze locked as they couldn't look away from each other. The Vampire had never seen someone looking at him with so much love and devotion, but for his mother. This woman had changed him in so many ways and yet he was still the same. He hoped that his own eyes reflected the love he felt for her at the same intensity.

"I love you my Damon…" she whispered before taking his lips in a searing and heated kiss.

"Athena… Love you…" he replied hungrily as he bit his tongue and did the same to hers so that they could exchange blood while kissing.

"I need you Damon... please... Let yourself go..." she pleaded.

The Vampire let out a deep and sensual growl before he pushed her back to the bed and started pounding into her quivering walls. They let go of the fear, the wrath and the desperation to let love, lust and hope fill their hearts; if only for this short moment.

...

After a long and warm shower, Damon had put up all the pillows against the bed's headboard to lean his back on them. He had pulled Athena to him between his legs to hold her tightly against his chest.

Damon was caressing the Shape-shifter's back absently as she did the same to his right pectoral. With his free hand, he scratched gently the back of her neck, then brushed the tips of his fingers over her breast and erected nipples. His hand went lower and gave a ticklish caress to her side, before finally settling on her left hip.

"Are you going to be alright..." whispered Damon barely audible for Athena to hear.

She lifted her head and looked at him. "I could ask you the same thing..." she replied with a hint of a smile dancing on her lips.

"Mm! And we shouldn't be thinking about that, right?" he answered, doing his sexy eyes thing.

She giggled lightly at his attics and gave him a peck on the lips. They didn't need more words to thank one and another, as they both understood the language of their bodies.

"Where do you think you're going?" he asked teasingly as she moved her lips away from his.

"Nowhere..." she replied blushing.

He grinned at her before slipping his right hand in her hair and pulled her back to him, kissing her fervently. His tongue was barely touching her lips and she opened her mouth, welcoming the probing muscle inside.

The kiss heated up until Damon couldn't resist anymore and moved his lips to her neck. He licked at the sensitive skin for a few seconds before finally breaking the skin under his elongated canines and sealing the wound with his lips as he started drawing blood.

He took four or five big sips before licking the remaining blood and letting Athena use her Shape-shifter healing ability to close the punctured marks.

"We should get some sleep," suggested Damon in a gentle tone, giving his mate a kiss on her forehead.

"Yeah..." she whispered smiling. "Damon?"

"Yes?"

"I know I've said it many times before, but... I love you, with all my heart. No matter what happens in the future; I will always love you and only you." she said brushing her knuckles against his cheek.

"I love you too my Athena and don't ever stop telling me that you do..."

Athena gave him a blinding smile before standing up. She went to the dresser taking the hairbrush to comb her hair. Damon used that moment to place back the pillows so that they could sleep comfortably. When he was done, he slipped back under the covers and waited for her as she slowly made her way back to him.

As soon as she was in front of him and he could feel her body heat, Damon kissed her one last time, before turning her around; pulling her back to his chest and spooned with her.

They fell asleep soon after.

…

_When Lucy opened her eyes, she was surprised so see where she was. Over the year, Cleatus had rarely brought her here and she wondered why he would now. Something had to be wrong for sure. She walked slowly through Stonehenge and saw Cleatus leaning, his shoulder against one of the large standing stones, his back to her._

_As she got closer, she could feel his disturbing sadness. It was hard for her not to cry as she tried to reach him._

"_The end is near… the tsunami will hit hard and out of nowhere, then it will go away just as quickly… but the devastation it will leave behind… I can't…" he whispered before bowing his head._

_When she was about to touch his shoulder, he turned sharply to her and let his back slide down the stone until he was sitting on the ground. She went to her knees and passed her hand through his hair. He lifted his head and gazed at her._

"_Cleatus…" she murmured worriedly as she saw the desperation in his eyes. "What happened?"_

"_I saw what is yet to come…" he answered and broke down in sobs._

_Lucy was so shocked to see the Druid heartbroken, that it took her a few seconds to react and to embrace the man in her arms. She had seen him cry before, but very rarely and never to such a level. But how could he had seen what was about to happen? And what did it meant for them?_

_He cried and cried so hard… She knew that someone would die. But she also knew that he wouldn't cry for only one death or anyone's death… Could it be truth then that more than one of her closest friends would die? Would she be herself gravely hurt? He was inconsolable. She could do nothing else but hold him._

_She couldn't imagine the pain he was going through. How awful it was to see the future and being unable to do anything to change it or even help._

_He fell asleep and woke up about an hour later. He had obviously calmed down, at least for the moment._

"_What can you tell me?" asked Lucy gently._

"_Nothing, I can't say anything at all about it," he replied smiling sadly at her, caressing both her cheeks. "I'm so scared for you… A choice was made and it will change everything… The consequences…"_

"_It is not your fault Cleatus…" she replied._

"_Yes! It is!" he snapped at her. "If I hadn't played hero with Centaurus, I would have been here with you right now, fighting at your side and I could have prevented this mess from happening."_

"_Cleatus, you being here would have only changed so little," she said knowingly. "You taught me yourself that every decision could create, altered or prevent events, but some events could never be changed no matter what people did. You also told me at the beginning that in your visions during the Centaurus, you saw that the possibilities of us dying were very likely to happen. This was meant to be Cleatus; this is our destiny…"_

_The Druid sighed deeply. "You are right, so right, but I can't bear to have witnesses the future, they are all so young. The upcoming events will be hard on everyone…"_

"_Cleatus, tell me, what are the consequences of you seeing the future? And how did you manage to convince the Sky to let you see again?" she asked, fearing his answer._

"_I told you before that I was still connected to the Earth and the stars. I felt this new darkness creeping slowly through my bones and if felt powerful and very dangerous. I knew at that moment that whatever I was feeling was also the end of the fight, the last stand. But I panicked and begged the Sky to show me. It gave me a choice, keep on visiting you or get my seer's powers back…"_

"_At what price?" pushed on the Witch._

"_I can't talk about it; even if I tried the words wouldn't come out. I cannot even reply to your questions. But above everything, this is the last time you will see me until the end… I'm so sorry Lucy."_

"_I can't go back, knowing this, Cleatus. It's already hard for me to look at them knowing that I'm more protected, but this… Having the knowledge that some of them will die, I can't…"_

"_Do you wish to forget? I could make you forget some part of tonight's meeting. You will only remember it when we will meet again." he offered._

"_So you will come back to me in my dreams when everything is passed, you promise?" she asked hopefully._

"_Always…" he whispered against her lips and kissed her._

"_Bring Deana to us…" she said her voice trembling._

_And he did as he was asked._

_They spend the rest of the night in each other arms, holding their daughter. They knew their next meeting would be filled with even more tears, but until then, they would try to enjoy their last moment together as a family before the upcoming storm…_

…

The next day, Lucy woke up knowing that the end was close and that their last face off would be the worse they had fought yet and that Cleatus wouldn't be able to come to her for the next months. She told everyone of this and the gang had to face the truth; yes it would soon be over, but at what price? What would they have to sacrifice? Who would die? Who would survive?

Unknown to the gang, Cleatus looked upon them from the sky, heart drumming in his chest, as he saw the images of his friends, no, his family, suffering through hell…

_~ April 4th 2012 ~_

The sun was almost down and the moon could already be seen in the sky. The Salvatore brothers were walking toward Stefan's car slowly after exiting the Grills. The night had been quiet, but they knew not to abuse it especially with an angry Jonas Martin on the loose.

They were going back to the safe house, where the whole gang was waiting for them. They had come to town hoping to find any clues, but it had been pointless.

As they passed nearby a forest, the car stopped. Stefan kept pressing on the gas, but nothing happened.

"Great!" said Damon sarcastically. "What's wrong with your car now?"

"Damon…" said Stefan panic in his voice. "Listen carefully, the car's motor is still running and the tires are spinning. The car is not touching the ground anymore!"

"Get out!" screamed Damon at his brother.

They ran out, but before they could do anything else, they were assailed by painful aneurisms. As they fell to the ground, Stefan looked up and saw Jonas Martin coming out of the wood and toward them.

"Please, Mister Martin, let us help you…" begged Stefan trying to reason with the Warlock.

"You seemed to be the one needing help right now, young man. But I'm here to collect your brother." replied the man calmly.

"W-Why him?" asked Stefan through his pain.

"You're asking too many questions!" he snapped at the younger Salvatore and threw him away with a simple move of his hand.

Stefan found himself impaled in the stomach on a tree branch losing his strength as he was forced to look at the warlock who was getting closer to his groaning brother.

"Your girlfriend and I have unfinished business, Salvatore!" growled Jonas at Damon before taking the vampire's head in his hands lifting it so that he could looked into his eyes.

Damon felt a pressure in his head, but it was different. "What are you doing to me?"

"I'm taking away your most precious thing; your memories." said Jonas, sneering at the Vampire.

"No… No! No! No! Please, not that…" begged Damon tears in his eyes as he felt the memories leaving him.

"DAMON!" screamed Stefan as he started to see black dots dancing in front of him.

"I'm begging you, I can't forget her… No… I don't want to go back alone into the darkness." he pleaded sobbing. He saw a baby boy smiling up at him, but he couldn't remember what he meant to him and then, nothing.

As Stefan looked on, the last thing he saw and heard before passing out broke his heart into thousands of pieces.

"No… not her… Athenaaaa!" screamed Damon.

…

Stefan woke up startled and looked around panicking before he realized that he was in his bedroom at the safe house.

"D-Damon!" he yelled for his brother.

"He's not here," answered a female voice. "Guys! He's awake!"

The Vampire turned and saw Elena smiling at him.

"How did I ended up here?" he asked through his panic and confusion.

"You ran here. Your eyes were blank and you had suffered a massive blood lost. As soon as we heard you, we went outside to get you and you fainted when I put my arms around you. The last thing we heard was you calling for Damon."

"I don't remember it…"

He heard the rest of the gang coming toward them and entering the room. When he saw Athena looking at him worriedly, he could hold it and tears ran down his cheeks.

"Where is Damon, Stefan?" she asked desperately.

"I'm so sorry Athena… Jonas Martin attacked us and I was impaled… I couldn't do anything and he erased Damon's memory… D-Damon was taken…" he answered, voice trembling.

Everyone in the room gasped and held their breath.

"No…" whispered Athena in denial "Not Damon…"

…

Back in Mystic Fall, the older Salvatore brother was sleeping on a sofa in the Lockwood Mansion's living room. Jonas was in Carol's old office, waiting for Jonathan Gilbert to come back. The door opened and the man came in.

"So, what was the emergency?" he asked to the warlock.

"I brought you a pretty toy as you requested. Now where is my daughter?" answered Jonas.

"Pretty toy?" repeated John clueless.

"Damon Salvatore; his last memories are of coming back to Mystic Fall to open the tomb to get Katherine out. Based on what you've told me, he should be fairly easy to manipulate."

"Amazing! You did an excellent job!" replied John. "Where is he now?"

"Passed out on a sofa downstairs, but I would be careful if I were you, it was…"

"It doesn't matter!" cut John. "The important thing is that you have found him!"

"Yeah, but that's the thing, he…" started the warlock again, but was cut once more.

"Don't you want to see your daughter?" said the man, false curiosity on his face as if he was mocking Jonas.

"Yes! Of course, is she here?" asked Jonas hopefully.

"Yes. My dear, wouldn't you like to come in," said John loudly.

Jonas smiled when he saw Greta coming in and ran to her. He gave her a warm embrace.

"I found you, finally!" he said his voice filled with joy as he held her close. "I thought you were with Klaus. I'm so glad you were able to escape!"

"Oh! But she didn't escape, Daddy Martin!" replied Greta with a voice that held a darker tone in it.

"W-What?" he gasped pulling away from his daughter. He looked at John and back to her. "What have you done to her?"

"Me? Nothing!" answered John smirking. "I'm just hunting Vampires, how could I possibly have defeated a Witch… I assure you, the only person you can blame for all this mess is Klaus. If it hadn't been for him, none of us would be in this situation."

"You've done your work Warlock, and I don't need you anymore, but for your powers!" replied Greta putting her hands to his ears.

"Greta please, don't do this!" pleaded the man to his daughter.

"Oh Mister Martin, your daughter has been dead for years now. Once again, you can thank that damn impudent Klaus for that," snarled the woman at him.

Jonas felt all of his powers leaving him and fusing with the woman's in front of him. When she let him go, he was no longer a Warlock, but a mere human.

"Now, you are useless to me!" she said before snapping his neck. She sneered as he fell to the ground boneless.

She felt the world go round and almost lost her feet, and would have fallen if it hadn't been for John. He gasped lightly when he saw her hair straightening, changing color and turning jet black with scarlet tips.

…

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><p><strong>AN: **__The plot thickens... Please don't kill me! XD Comments are always welcomed, what did you thought of this chapter? Love ~ Meye__

Translation:  
><em><strong><em>Averte tempore… Videam…<em>** - _Turn back time... Let me see... (very bad Latin translation)**_  
><em>**


	15. 13 Set fire to the rain

**Disclaimer:** This story is based on characters and situations from _The Vampire Diaries_ series created by _L. J. Smith_ and developed by _Kevin Williamson/CW Network_. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringements are intended. OCs are all mine, please ask before using them anywhere.

**Beta Reader:** The lovely _OnyxvanGem_

**A/N:** _Hi guys! New chapter for you since I have it! Last chapter did quite some waves! Just wanted to thank once more everyone who reviewed last chapter and also for reading the story! And just a quick warning for this chapter, it's a tiny bit dark... Just a tiny bit and also a reminder that 'my' Centaurus!Klaus, was never as charming as the one in the TV Show. :p ENJOY!_

* * *

><p><strong>Set fire to the rain<strong>

Three days, and still no trace of Damon had been found since Jonas Martin had taken him. Athena was a total wreck. Deena and Alaric had tried everything to comfort her, but she had been heartbroken. She played the strong façade in front of the gang, but they knew better than to believe it. The worst part for the Shape-shifter was that she had to lie to her own son about his father's disappearance. The toddler hated being separated from his parents for a long time and Athena knew that soon, Rain wouldn't take her stories and would start to worry for his daddy. They had to think of something and fast.

And in all of this, Alaric was the one _'privileged'_ to see how she really felt as he had seen her more than once over the last days breaking down after a class at school.

They were scared for Damon, as Stefan had finally been able to tell his tale. Knowing that Damon could have possibly turned against them was nerve-racking. The Vampire had been quite volatile in his old days and having to face that again was something the gang wasn't sure they could handle.

It had been easy for everyone to forget the 'old' Damon, but for Stefan and Athena, who had spied from afar the Salvatore brothers. If the older Salvatore was anything close to how he had been when he had returned to Mystic Fall, the damages would be disastrous.

The good point about Damon's memory being erased was that he didn't know anymore where the safe house was, for now anyway. They all knew that he would find a way to follow one of them back there. At least, the house wouldn't let Damon back inside until he was on the 'good' side again.

For now, they were just hoping to get any news for the Vampire; good or bad.

_~ Sunday – April 8th 2012 ~_

Odelle knew he had been following her for the last two hours as she walked deeper into the forest of Mystic Fall, but she pretended as if she was alone. She could feel the change in his energy, something had changed and it wasn't good. She finally stopped when she came across a small waterfall, she had thought of going to the _Centaurus_ meadow, but upon feeling Damon's presence, she had decided against it; she would never take the risk of bringing any possible foes there. She had to know for sure with Damon where he stood.

The crow following her stopped on a branch and Odelle decided to play dumb. She shifted into Athena and took her time undressing and slowly went into the cold water, which had actually no effect on her, as her elements were air and water. She bathed silently feeling the crow's eyes on her the whole time. Wherever he stood when it came to good or evil, Damon would always be a pervert. Every move she did, he followed, and it was almost unnerving.

When she got out, she waited until she was dry and started to dress up. She only had her underwear and bra on when she looked straight at the bird.

"Enjoying the show my love?" she asked, a small smirk on her lips.

The crow flew to her and about three feet from her, turned into a sneering Damon. Just by his face, she knew that this wasn't her Damon. The look in his eyes; it wasn't the same. She could still see the lust and desire there, but something else was there, a calculation gaze and darkness.

"Just out of curiosity, how long have you known I was here?" asked the Vampire. He was certain he had been cautious with her, making sure not to draw her attention to him.

"Long enough to change my destination and take a bath… So where do we stand?" she replied casually. "I can always tell when you're around, but you can try again to take me by 'surprise', I don't mind it at all!"

"You don't seem to care about giving me a show…" smiled Damon, but she could see malice in his eyes. "I've been told some interesting stories. You used the Bennett Witch against me to erase my memory, but Jonas Martin saved me before I was taken. He died from using too much magic against your Witch. And all the Vampires in the tomb were killed, including Katherine before I was able to save her."

Athena couldn't stop herself; she laughed whole heartily. "Is that what you've been told my love? Quite an epic story you have there…" She couldn't believe the story they had come up with; it had to be the most ridiculous thing she'd ever heard in her life. Cleatus would have died of laughter hearing it. So Jonas Martin had been killed after doing the deeds. That family had had to be cursed. Though, above everything else, how could Damon be so gullible? Yet, he had been so desperate with Katherine…

She didn't have time to continue as she was pushed against a nearby tree and when she lifted her head Damon's face was mere centimetres from her. She took a deep breath and looked at him silently.

"Is Klaus dead? I was told that he wasn't, so that means I still have chances!" he asked, a hint of hope in his voice.

"Chances for what?" she replied confused. This conversation was heading nowhere, except for getting her horny. She was entering a dangerous zone and she didn't like it.

"Bringing back my Katherine, he's the only one who can do it," answered Damon with certainty.

"W-What?" exclaimed Athena eyes big as a saucer. "Is that what they told you? Damon, come on! Really? How can you believe that a mere Vampire could bring back another Vampire from the dead? Klaus was a powerful man with impressionable resources, but bringing back Katherine is out of his league."

"I won't let you go until I get my answers!" growled Damon.

"I don't mind at all staying like that my love…" she said in a flirty voice. She had to stop this, but she couldn't resist.

"Stop calling me that." raged the Vampire.

"No, I made you a promise before you were taken and I won't break it" she said as she caressed Damon's cheek with her left hand, but the Vampire moved his face front her touch. She took his head between her hands and forced him to look at her. "I love you with everything that I am Damon, nothing, do you hear me; NOTHING will change that. And our son is always there to remind me of that love each time I look at him."

"I don't have a son, I can't have children…" denied Damon.

"Oh, but I can love. And if you let me get the rest of my clothes, I can even show you a picture of our son." suggested the Shape-shifter, hoping that the Vampire would let her do so.

She was surprised, but didn't let it show, when Damon actually complied with her request and stepped aside. She dressed up and came back with her baby boy's photo and gave it to Damon.

"This is our son; Rain Salvatore." she said proudly, skipping his middle name in case saying Cleatus name would bite them back in the arse later.

"I don't know who this baby is," declared the Vampire, totally unaffected by the picture.

"Your memories were wiped my love; it is quite normal." replied Athena taking back the photo.

"By your Witch!" exclaimed the eldest Salvatore getting angry.

"Believe what you want Damon, we will get you back. Seeing you like this, it just gives me more strength to find a way to get your memory back." said the Shape-shifter looking straight into the Vampire's eyes.

Out of nowhere, Damon was kissing her. One hand was at the small of her back and the other in her hair, both hands holding her close. At first, she responded and moaned, but when she realized what she was doing, she pushed him away, quite strongly actually. And if he was honest with himself, Damon had been surprised by the strength she had shown, both physically and mentally.

"What?" he asked sneering. "I thought we were lovers? You didn't enjoy our little fun just then? I can smell you, you know… Why push me away? Shouldn't you be happy Odelle?"

"I would never have sex with you in such a state. You don't care Damon, that's the problem. Even the first time we slept together, even though you didn't loved me, you cared. I never was and never will be Katherine or Elena's replacement. I've already waited for almost a 150 years for you; I'm a patient woman Damon, a very patient one. And you would never forgive me for sleeping with you like this. Even if you mean the world to me my love, I would never lower myself to that, just to get your attention. I'm not that kind of person." It helped to keep her focus when Damon kept calling her Odelle.

"You're playing hard to get!" said Damon reproachfully.

"Let's make a deal; if you can remember my name, I'll sleep with you!" and she started to walk away.

Damon laughed. "Easy. Odelle St-Amand."

"My real one…" she replied. When the Vampire simply blinked at her, she smiled affectionately. "That's what I thought. You know what is heart breaking? Stefan said that the last thing he heard you screamed, when your memories were being erased, was my name… Until then, I'll be working very hard to get you back at my side Damon, whatever it takes."

"Don't count on it Shape-shifter!" growled Damon.

"I love you my Damon, don't forget about it…" she finished with a smile.

The Vampire was about to grab her when she disappeared. He couldn't understand how she had managed it, so he ran back to the Lockwood Mansion, unaware that the warm breeze caressing his face until he reached downtown was actually his mate.

…

Damon made his way to the living room where Jonathan was sitting and drinking wine. He went to the bar and poured himself a glass of aged scotch.

"Where were you?" asked the Gilbert man. It was really because of the plan that he could bear having the Vampire beside him; Damon was everything but a good ally when he was in this state of mind.

"Following the Shape-shifter and see what she knew," replied Damon as he downed the glass of scotch before pouring himself another one.

"You are forbidden to see her," said a female voice coming into the room.

"Why?" asked Damon challenging the Witch. Seconds later he was holding his head between his hands groaning in pain. "Seriously… what's wrong… with your Witches… and headaches?"

"Don't test me Salvatore! I don't mind helping you getting Katherine back, since bringing Klaus for me will actually help you, but don't fuck with me. That woman IS dangerous Damon; you have never fought against a Shape-shifter before. Let me tell you something, they are one of the strongest races in this world," replied Greta, annoyed.

"In this world…? What are you then? Cause I can sense it, you are not what you appear to be…" said the Vampire.

"What I am is stuck; stuck in this mortal body…"

"What do you mean?" said the Vampire confused.

"Let me tell you a story of a day that started perfectly, but that didn't end well… No happy endings…" started Greta.

_[FLASHBACK]_

_~ November 15th 2009 ~_

_Greta woke up in blood-tainted sheets. She smiled to herself before stretching her naked body lazily. She looked to her right and was happy to see that she was alone. Last time, Klaus had left the dead girl in the bed and she hadn't appreciated waking up to a vision of scary dead eyes. They had been in London for the last month and things were finally coming together. Today was the day…_

_She felt rejuvenated; blood play with Klaus would always do that to her. She lifted the upper part of her body and leaned on her elbows._

_Klaus came out of the adjoining bathroom; naked and blood all over his tone body. He smirked at her before removing the drape covering her. Her body pretty much looked like his. He took her by the ankle and pulled her aggressively toward him at the end of the bed. He turned her around and with no preparation entered her brutally and pounded into her._

_The Witch screamed in both agony and pleasure as the Original Vampire kept a dangerous pace, a little bit more and he would have broken her bones. He put his hand on her forehead and pulled her head up, before bending it to the side and biting down drawing blood from her pumping jugular._

"_Klaus… no more…" she begged already exhausted._

"_Yes more Mrs. Martin! So much more!" he grunted as he licked his lips. He bit into his wrist and put the bloody member in front of her mouth and she drank happily._

_The Witch couldn't take in anymore and she passed out, but she could still feel him unconsciously as he kept fucking her savagely, not caring that she wasn't with him anymore. But her body knew the drill by now and it only gave more access to the deranged Vampire as he kept plunging into her quivering channel, only seeking his own release._

_He gave one last push and came into her with an animalistic sound. He pulled out and left the bedroom to take a shower; he was thirsty. He came back and dressed up. Before leaving, he placed the Witch back at the center of the bed, it was the least he could and would do._

…

_Greta woke up an hour later. She took all the stained sheets and burned them in the bathtub. She fetched new one in the closet on the shelf and placed back everything. She went into the bathroom and took a long and hot shower._

_She was about to turn off the water, when she felt his presence behind her. He pushed her hard against the tiled wall and took her again. He was in a very good mood today for sure._

"_Klaus…" she moaned. "I will need all my energy to do that spell…"_

"_You want me to stop?" he asked. Even if she said 'yes' he wouldn't._

"_N-No… yesss…" she groaned meeting his thrusts midway._

"_I thought so…" he replied sneering._

…

_Klaus was leaning against the wall silently as he watched the Witch placing everything she needed for the ritual. Normally, he wasn't someone that you would qualify as patient, but in this case, he knew that everything had to be perfect. There was no place for mistake. Both him and Greta knew this._

_Greta was just excited. This would be her second time summoning something that powerful. The first time she had been very anxious, but Klaus had given her so much blood that she had been thrice her normal strength._

"_Klaus?" she asked in a whisper as she kept on moving around. Stopping her work in the middle was not an option._

"_Yes?" he said following her every movement._

"_What is it that you want, really want?"_

_Anyone, but her would have ever dare to ask him such a question, but he actually didn't mind. Greta Martin was blindly loyal to him and he knew that this wasn't her trying to get information on him, but simple curiosity._

"_You mean if I could have anything in the world?" he replied with his own question._

"_Yes. What would it be?"_

"_Having my own personal army of Shape-shifters; I've tried it before, and failed, but I know now that the only way to get them is by finding young ones and educating them the way you want them to be." answered the Original._

"_Shape-shifters… aren't those legends?"_

"_No they aren't. And pretty much everything you read about them is false. Try to imagine a being able to imitate anything he/she assimilates. It can be a Warlock, a Vampire, a Werewolf and many more at the same time… If I could have, only just one, it would be magnificent. I won't miss my chance the next time I get my hands on one."_

"_Why don't I summon one for you?" replied Greta._

"_Aw! Mrs. Martin, so innocent… I can assure you, I've tried that many times before. Shape-shifter are survivor, they have been hunted for such a long time that they have learned the ways to make it through these incessant hunting. The first persons they usually seek out are Vampires and Witch or Warlock, precisely to avoid being found. They are very smart, I'll give them that!"_

"_I see… So basically, they are the strongest of the lot." she smiled looking around. "I'm almost done."_

"_That and their blood is the best thing there is on this god forsaken planet. Imagine the finest drink you can think of and it wouldn't be a thousandth of what a Shape-shifter's blood taste like. It's the most intoxicating thing I've ever drank in my life…" he finished almost day dreaming._

_The Witch came to him, kneeled down and started to nuzzle his rock hard erection through his pants._

"_You can always tell when I'm horny…" replied the Original._

"_That's what I'm here for…" she smiled. "Anything for you Klaus…"_

"_Prove it!" he growled pulling her head back by the hair before letting her go._

_She worked her mouth fast and hard, not wanting to waste any more time that they had already lost. But she needed to be focused while doing her spell; sex with Klaus on her mind would not help at all._

_When she was done and Klaus contented, she lighted up all the candles with a simple thought._

"_I need you to stand in the middle, inside the eye." she said to the Vampire and he did as he had been told._

"_Do I need to do anything?" he asked calmly._

"_I need you to fill this small bowl with your blood. And then, remove your shirt."_

_She took the blood from him and dipped her fingers in it before drawing symbols over Klaus body._

"_This," she said as she drew over his solar plexus "is to bind the Demon's longevity to you. This," she continued as she drew a symbol over his heart "is to protect you against the Demon's darkness. This," she said dipping her fingers again before going to both his arms "is to bind its strength to you; making you stronger than ever. And finally, this" she finished putting her bloody hand on the top of his head "is to protect your mind and soul. Are you ready?"_

"_Yes, I am" he said smirking. This was it, the moment he would finally get enough power to break down anything trying to stand in his path to break the Curse of the Sun and the Moon._

"_Don't forget, it will hurt…"_

"_I don't care. Do it!"_

"_Let's start then."_

_She poured the rest of the Original's blood in a bigger bowl and put more ingredients in it. When smoke started to form, she began her chanting. Calling upon the elements would take a good five minutes and then, she would have to repeat the spell over and over again until a Demon would have been found and bound to Klaus. The ceremony would kill the essence of the Demon and whatever 'magical' power it had; they were limits to what nature would allow. Still, it would make Klaus undefeatable. Especially since the Witch was certain that this wouldn't be the first time the Vampire bound something like this to himself._

_She could feel it in the air, she could almost taste it on her tongue; the demon was being pulled to them…_

…

_A demon and his younger twin sister were laughing as they saw yet another human fall for their trap. They could spend months tricking people with the same prank over and over again. Well, sure, most human wouldn't call a trap where you would instantly combust, a prank, but for Demons like these two, it was hilarious._

"_Did you see that?" asked the female giggling. "His face was priceless! What could we do next?"_

"_Let me think… I know! Why not make random people grow horns, like tiny ones. And each times they find a way to cut them out, new ones, bigger ones, grow instead. And it could go on until…"_

"_Until their neck would snap from the pressure or weight?" she exclaimed excitedly._

"_YES!" replied her twin brother laughing hysterically. _

_She joined her brother into his laughers._

_But then, she felt a pang inside her chest and stop laughing trying to catch her breath._

"_What's wrong?" asked her brother concerned._

"_I-I don't know… it feels like… arg!" she yelped when the intensity increased. And then she felt it, the pull to somewhere else._

"_Sister?" said the eldest twin on the verge of panic._

"_It's like someone is summoning me… But it hurts…" she looked at her twin and he could see that she was terrified._

"_Take my hand, I won't let you go," he said, trying to comfort her._

_But before she could grab it, the pull became too strong._

"_BROTHER!" she yelled disappearing._

…

_The female demon reappeared in human form between two strangers. She was floating on her back about three feet from the ground and couldn't do anything. She heard the chanting and panicked._

"_No! Please! Stop this, you will kill me!" she begged, but the damn Witch wouldn't bother to even look at her and the man, the Vampire, was sneering at her._

_The Demon wailed in pain as she felt her body being ripped apart and her soul detaching itself from it._

'_Brother, please save me!' she begged her twin, who she knew would hear her call for help._

_She could see everything; her energy was being transferred and bound to the Vampire whose aura was getting stronger and stronger by the second._

_Suddenly, Greta eyes snapped open. Something was wrong, very wrong. She had called only one Demon and she could feel a second one coming._

"_Klaus we have to go, now! She didn't come alone!" she urged the Original Vampire._

_The Vampire felt the other Demon fast approaching and he knew that if he didn't leave now, he would be in trouble. The job was done; for his part anyway, destroying the remaining pieces of the Demon was not his problem, he didn't need the Martin Witch anymore._

"_Good luck my dear!" he said sneering before running out._

"_No! Klaus!" screamed Greta._

_But it was too late, she felt a grip around her neck and a very pissed off young Asian man appeared with his hand around her throat._

"_Where is my sister?"_

'_Here brother…'_

_He turned and saw his twin's spirit beside him._

"_Sister, what have they done to you…" cried out the Demon._

"_The man, Klaus, he stole most of my strength and immortality. My body was destroyed, I think… We need to find him and take back what he has stolen from me."_

"_Of course…" he smiled at his sister. But then he turned a malicious glare to the Witch. "You, what is your name?"_

"_G-Greta… Greta Martin." said the terrified Witch._

"_You shouldn't have mingled yourself with Demon's business Greta Martin. But good news for us, your magic and body will be strong enough to sustain my sister spirit. She will eat your soul and take over your body. And when we get our hands on that man Klaus we will kill him slowly and claim back what he had the audacity to steal. Then my sister will be able to get a new Demonic form with your body. Goodbye Greta Martin."_

"_N-No!" screamed the Witch before she felt the female Demon' spirit entering her and slowly, but savagely she was eaten alive from the inside._

"_Sister?" called Shinichi shaking the Witch's body delicately._

_Greta's eyes turned totally black before going back to normal and she smiled at the Demon._

"_Hello brother!"_

_The twins embraced each other glad that his sister had been saved._

"_Where to?" asked the young man. "We have a Vampire called Klaus to catch."_

"_We should start with the Witch family…"_

_[END OF FLASHBACK]_

"Let me get this straight, Klaus one of the oldest Vampires in the world, used a Witch to summon a Demon to gain more power and the spell picked you at random and took half of your powers?" asked Damon.

"Yes, but it also _'temporary'_ destroyed my true form so I stole the Witch body and ate her soul which killed her, obviously. I was lucky; I could have died that day, but we were fast enough to stop the summoning midway. When I met Jonas Martin later he had been looking for his daughter since Klaus had taken her. Sadly, Greta had to die and he understood it, so we joined force in an attempt to get Klaus back, but that story you already know."

"And how can you be so sure of what happened?" replied the Vampire.

"When I took over Greta's body and ate her soul to survive, I was granted access to her memory. That's why I know!" answered the Demon.

"This still doesn't explain why we are after my brother and his friends…" asked Damon. The truth was that he didn't care about his brother safety, but knowledge meant power to him.

"They were the one to seal Klaus away. We don't know how or where or when, and have been trying to get some answers," replied Jonathan for Greta. "It was Sheriff Forbes that confirmed it to me. She didn't know much, but for the trouble that a strong Vampire had caused upon coming to town. Our only problem now is that the gang were able to convince Liz with their stories because of her hatred of Vampires. So don't trust what she says either."

"I'll avoid her, it's easier" said Damon boredom marring his face.

"This is serious, Damon!" exclaimed a frustrated John.

"Listen up here Jonathan; we don't like each other, so let's not pretend that we do. I'm only here because I want to get Katherine back, when it's done, I'm gone!" snapped Damon at the Gilbert man.

"If you think I will let you mess up with my plans or cause anarchy as you used to, you are clearly underestimating me Damon Salvatore. We need your help and we will get it whether you want to or not." almost yelled Greta at the Vampire.

Damon sneered and tried to run away, but he stopped mid-track howling in pain and then a drumming started inside of him, _'Submit! Submit! Submit!'_ it kept chanting and he fell to his knees to the floor.

"Aw! So cute like this!" laughed Greta. "Now, will you listen?"

"Yes." replied Damon voice void of emotion and his eyes reflecting the same emptiness.

"Good. What a docile little dog!" said Greta, sneering.

Jonathan kept quiet.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN:** So, Damon with no memories, half controlled and caught in a HUGE web of lies... that can never be good! This chapter was to give you the bad guys side. Seems like the gang is up against Demons... Your thoughts, theories? Loved it, hated it? Reviews are always welcomed! Love you guys, see you next update! ~ Meye_

_On a side note, for those who speaks French, I have a poll on my profile if you'd like to answer it. thx :)_


	16. 14 Mad world

_**Disclaimer:** This story is based on characters and situations from The Vampire Diaries series created by L. J. Smith and developed by Kevin Williamson/CW Network. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringements are intended. OCs are all mine, please ask before using them anywhere._

_**Beta Reader:** The lovely OnyxvanGem_

_**A/N:** BETA version is ready so here it is, all edited for you by the AMAZING Onyx! :D Enjoy the reading!_

* * *

><p><strong><span>Mad World<span>**

_~ April 16th 2012 ~_

Odelle was looking through some papers while she sat at her desk in her classroom. She couldn't wait for school to be done. At least, only her and Alaric remained at school. It was now official that Jeremy would finish his school year at the safe house since Damon had lost his memories. Jeremy and Elena had to stay indoors at all time, they had been insulted and angry at the directive, no, the order, but Athena had been crystal clear about it; it was for their own protection.

She gazed outside and sighed heavily; here was the only place she could be weak and cry over Damon. Back at home, she had to be strong and find solutions for her lover's condition. Alaric had contacted Slater and Emrick a few days ago in hope that they would have found anything that could be helpful. Right now, both men were still trying to find the source of their problem and who had the power to control people like that. One thing was sure; Slater had said that he had found a similar story of possession in Asia and that he would try to look deeper into it.

Seeing Damon had been heartbreaking for the Shape-shifter. She could have taken a lot from him, but the darkness in his eyes and the fact that he hadn't known who was Rain; his own son, had been too much for her to bear.

She felt a shift in the air and tried not to jump. She needed to stay calm; the last thing she needed was for him to see her out of control.

"If you're trying to sneak up on me again my love, it won't work… I can feel you whenever you are close around Damon, I told you that the last time." she said, looking at the half opened door.

The vampire came in, a sneer on his face. He took one chair and pulled it close to the French teacher's desk before sitting and crossing his feet on top of her paperwork. Odelle raised an eyebrow at him and as if he wasn't there, went back to her reading.

"You know, I could just snap your neck right now?" said Damon haughtily.

"Really? I'd like to see you try, my love…" replied Odelle without looking up. "Surely, you were told how powerful I am, especially against known foes. Last time we met, I was being nice to you. Though, at this point of your life, you weren't at your smartest and tended, too often, to throw yourself into situations without thinking twice about it. So, come on then, impress me!"

She was pinned against the blackboard by the snarling Vampire.

"Don't underestimate me, woman!" he snapped at her.

She shifted into Sapphire, surprising him, and reversed their situation; all of this in a matter of seconds.

"You are weak against me you imbecile! I could crush you like an ant if I wanted too. Be careful, some people won't show you the same level of compassion…" she whispered in his ear almost affectionately.

"Then why don't you kill me?" challenged the angry man.

"Because I love you, Damon. Now, I'm sure you didn't come here to play with me and I presume that you are also going against orders that you were strictly given to stay away from me. So, I'll ask only once; what do you want, my love?" she said calmly.

"Why don't you read my mind?" he challenged her again.

"I would never do that to you like this! But since you are being childish, I'll make sure that you won't try anything stupid again for the time being." she answered, shifting into Zeus.

Damon felt the power of the mysterious man running through him and by the time the spell was over, he knew his Vampire's abilities had been neutralized.

The Shape-shifter changed back into her human form and sat at her desk. Damon sat back in his previous place almost pouting.

"I have questions and you will answer them!" commanded Damon.

"Of course my love. What do you want to know?" replied Odelle smiling at him.

"Were you the one who killed Katherine?" asked the Vampire. He had learned from their last and first meeting, that the Shape-shifter wouldn't change the way she called him. He found it unnerving and quite intriguing too. If he was honest with himself; her audacity with him was refreshing, especially since he couldn't do anything to kill her, but at the first sign of weakness, he would take her out.

"Yes, I was." she said smiling as if it was the most obvious answer. "And before you start on your _'I will kill you'_ rambling; I just want you to know that you are very happy about her death."

"You don't know anything about me!" snarled Damon.

"And yet my love, you go on believing people like Jonathan Gilbert over your own brother. I never thought your hate for your brother had run so deep when you had come back to Mystic Fall. It's impressive how blinded you were by Katherine's treachery. Anything else you'd like to know?"

It was easy to forget the man she loved when the Vampire was like this. The darkness he was in was ugly; she couldn't find any other word for it; it was just ugly. Her hatred for the dead Petrova had increased tenfold over the last weeks. How could she have done something like that? One thing was sure; if there had been any regret left in a cell of her body, it was long gone now.

"Do you enjoy this?" he growled.

"Actually, no. Only a fool like you, with so much hatred and manipulation clouding his mind would think that I enjoy seeing my man, my mate, not remembering his own son and the love we share. I know that no matter what, you won't believe me; so I don't bother anymore, but that doesn't mean we are not searching for ways to bring you back to us…"

"Why did you kill her?" cut in Damon. He had been warned not to get close to the Shape-shifter again by the Witch; she was a trickster and would stop at nothing to get him on their side. The proof, they had used on of the Bennett Witch to erase his memory, luckily he had been found by the late Jonas Martin.

"That is a question I answered a long time ago… I killed her for you and a friend called Calix. She killed my friend without any mercy and what she did to you and Stefan needed to be avenged too."

"I don't need your help!" replied Damon frustrated.

"And yet again, you are so wrong. When you got over your obsession with Petrova, you went on to Elena; her doppelganger. Oh for sure, Elena is nothing like Katherine, but really Damon, what was wrong with you? You would manipulate and use women like ragdolls, but when it came to serious relationships you would always pick someone who was already attached to Stefan."

"So I'm guessing you were my brother's whore first?" challenged Damon a sneer on his lips.

The Vampire was surprised when the French teacher burst out in laughers. It took her a few seconds to calm down which annoyed him even more.

"If it wasn't for the fact that I know you aren't yourself, I would slap you so hard, Damon, for insinuating something like that. But you know what; I'll give myself the pleasure of hearing you asking for forgiveness when you get your memory back. This kind of thinking just shows me how little Jonathan Gilbert and his friends know about me and us. You were always the only Salvatore I was interested in, Damon. That will never change no matter what. Now, if you don't have anything else to ask me, I'll take my leave." she finished as she started to regroup her paperwork into files.

"You'll be done, when I say you are!" he said grabbing her wrist to stop her.

"I must admit one thing; god you were hot when you were evil!" she whispered. And it was true, but again even if the darkness inside Damon was ugly, it had always been what had drawn her to him in the first place.

Damon was obviously infuriated by her attitude. His face was contorting in frustration, as she kept on pushing his buttons. When she was ready to leave, she sat on her desk, waiting for him to talk.

"So, can I leave now?" she asked cheekily.

"When will my senses come back?" he replied.

"In about an hour… It will give me enough time to leave without you trying to follow me," she paused. "So, does that mean you only wanted to know about Katherine?"

"What did you do to Klaus?" he questioned.

"Aw! There you are, seeking information for your own advantage. Some things never change. I'm sorry my love, but I can't answer that! Anyway, if your memories hadn't been wiped, you would know the answer to that question of yours. I still cannot believe that you think bringing Klaus, will bring her back. That is the most ridiculous idea I've ever heard. Well, let me put to rest that idea Damon, whatever happened to Klaus CANNOT be undone and that, is all you need to know."

"There is always a loophole in a spell."

She smirked at him and Damon realized that they had already thought about that. This wasn't good and it made him angrier; he just wanted to slowly strangle her to death.

"Well, I think we are done. I have better things to do anyway; like finding a way to bring back your memories!"

Using all of his 'human' force, Damon tackled her once more against the black board. His face was so close she could feel his cold breath.

"I will kill you." he murmured his voice full of hatred.

"I know."

Damon was rendered speechless by her brutal response. He saw her putting a hand in her bag and pulling out something from it; he couldn't quite see what it was.

"A parting gift." she said as she gave him a small jar filled with blood.

"And you thing I will drink that?"

"You don't have your vampire senses right now, which means that opening the jar won't affect you, but once they are back…" she stopped mid-sentence and smiled cockily.

She shifted into Zeus and grabbed Damon wrist with her free hand and released the spell holding his powers down.

"Now, why don't you open it? Or should I have the honour?" she asked shifting back to her human form.

Damon threw the jar toward the back of the class, but the Shape-shifter was faster than him and changed into Sapphire to catch the container before it could smash against the wall. She opened it and Damon ran to her. She laughed at his attempt to take it from her.

"Calm down Damon! I had forgotten how strongly it had affected you the first time."

She gave him the jar and he drank everything hungrily even to the point of liking the inside dry; there was no trace of blood left when he was done.

"I feel drunk." he replied sitting on one of the student's chairs.

"It's normal…" she said, caressing his cheek. He moved his head away from her touch in disgust and she sighed. "You were used to drink this at least once per two days. Even if you can't feel it; your subconscious must feel the depravation."

"What was that blood?" he asked, barely keeping his eyes opened.

"My blood…" she answered as she gave him a kiss on the hairline. "I love you, my Damon, with all my heart. No matter what happens in the future, remember that I kept my promise that I would never stop telling you how much I loved you. Sleep well…"

"This doesn't change… anything… I will… kill you…" he whispered.

"I know and I forgive you," she said. He fell asleep, but not before she could see the shock in his eyes at her acceptance and forgiveness over her possible death.

She changed back into Odelle and walked slowly across the school to Alaric's office. Her heart wouldn't stop hammering in her ribcage. At this stage of his life, Damon had been more lethal than anyone else; killing was almost a sport and his scoring was high. She knew that if the occasion ever presented itself; the Vampire would kill her without mercy or second thoughts.

When the History teacher saw her face, he knew she had seen Damon, but he kept quiet about it. He could understand what she was going through. How many times had he seen her coming in after class; eyes all red from crying?

They went to his car. The road back home had been in total silence.

_~ April 24th 2012 ~_

She was bored and as much as she understood their decision; she hated being stuck in here, playing babysitter with Jeremy. The rest of the gang, minus Athena had split into two groups; one half had gone to the Boarding house to fetch more books in hopes of finding anything that could be useful, while the other one had gone to do the grocery. Athena had left quite early that morning to visit Emrick and Slater at their safe house, since travelling as air was the best disguised to avoid being followed; she was doing the trip alone. All of them were due to come back in about an hour and she wanted to use that time for herself.

She wanted to be more, to feel like she wasn't a prisoner in her own house. Both babies were taking a nap while Jeremy was in his room chatting with some friends on his laptop. This was the only time she would have. She just wanted to get out.

She took Bonnie's car key and upped in her car. Only half an hour wouldn't change anything. She left.

Jeremy jump out of his bed, his laptop crashing on the soft carpet, when he heard a car outside. He looked out and saw his sister driving away with his girlfriend's car.

"Elena!" he screamed as he opened the window.

He ran out of his bedroom and picked his car keys along the way, but stopped himself on the porch. He couldn't follow her and leave the toddlers alone. They were innocent children and he didn't want to face the wrath of both Lucy and the distressed Athena. But his sister, that move had been careless and he needed to call the gang. He sent a text to both groups, explaining what had happened and asked if one of them had the courage to call Athena. As much as he loved the Shape-shifter, she hadn't been the same since Damon had changed allegiances. Her motto was simple; _don't mess with the plan_! And if you did, she wasn't very nice about it.

…

Elena was on her way back, she had gotten multiple calls and sms from her friends, but for once, she had wanted to be selfish. She could already see the house and she smiled. Her joy was cut short when the door beside her was ripped open and thrown away. She barely had a second to see black eyes before she was knocked out.

…

When she woke up, she was in the middle of the forest. She looked at her watch; not even ten minutes had passed.

"W-Where…" she started, but was interrupted.

"In the forest obviously!" replied a voice that she knew all too well.

"Damon!" she exclaimed. "Did you save me?"

The Vampire got closer to her as she stood up and caressed her cheek before grabbing her hair and pulling her head back.

"It's disgusting how much you look like her, but my Katherine would have never been fooled by such a simple trick!"

"Damon, please, don't do this…" she begged.

"Don't do what? Oh! This?" he asked before biting down her neck and ripping away a patch of skin.

She screamed in agony. She tried to stop the blood, but the gash was too big for her small hand. She gazed at the man who used to be her friend and could see nothing else than darkness in his eyes. She felt her body growing weaker as the blood poured out of her. She fell to the ground, slowly bleeding to her death.

"I would never drink from you; you are no Katherine!" he spat at her.

Elena was terrified. She had forgotten how homicidal Damon had been when he had first come back to Mystic Fall. But never had he been that cruel with her.

"I cannot believe that my brother fell for you. Anyway, when you think about it, he probably never loved Katherine the way I did, and the way I still do. To think that all this time he could have left her to me. I could have kept you alive longer, but I've heard about you Elena Gilbert. You may not be as prejudice has your real father, but you are apparently loyal to a fault."

He crouched down next to her and she couldn't do anything as she started to see black dots.

"Let's finish this quickly!" he took her head and snapped her neck, sneering as he looked down at her lifeless body. "Well, that was boring… I was hoping for more drama."

He ran back to the mansion. He really loved bringing havoc and the look on John's face would be enough payment for him.

…

Athena was the first one to make it back home. As soon as she was there, she took some of Elena's hair from her comb and changed into Zeus to do a locating spell. Elena was in the middle of the forest, about 15 minutes from them at Vampire speed. She couldn't go there alone; it could be a trap.

She changed back into herself.

"What the hell was she thinking?" she asked out loud.

"I'm sorry Athena…" started Jeremy.

"You did nothing wrong. What Elena did was stupid, but it wasn't your fault. I'm not really mad at her; I am, above anything, else worried for her. I just hope that she didn't get herself killed."

"She never removes her ring," said the young Gilbert man.

"Well then, let's prey that whoever killed her didn't know about it."

Ten minutes later, the whole gang was back. Stefan was a nervous wreck, as he wanted nothing but to run out and save Elena. They had argued heatedly about who should go out. Both Bennett witches had wanted to go; and the same for the younger werewolf and Caroline. Alaric had been the only one trying to reason with them all saying that only a few should go. In the end, Deena, Stefan and Sapphire had been named as the rescue team. Deena, because she could smell trouble miles away, Stefan for mental support once they found Elena and, finally, Sapphire because she was the strongest.

They ran as fast as they could. They found her alone and scared to death. As soon as she had saw Stefan, she had ran to him and thrown herself in his comforting arms. Only one word had been understandable in her sobs; Damon.

"Elena! Listen to me, you are safe, I'm here now." said Stefan trying to reassure her.

"She's okay!" replied Sapphire in a low voice, so that only Stefan and Dee would understand. "She just needs to let it all out. I think she was more shocked by Damon's attitude than by her death."

"I'll go make a quick round in case something was left behind," said Deena. She ran out and came back a few minutes later. "By the way, where is Bonnie's car?"

Sapphire concentrated on Elena. "She was taken up the road just before the end of the forest. The car must be around there. We should take care of that before police or anyone else sees it."

"Let's go back then!" said Stefan. "I'll take her in my arms."

There was a shift in the air, very subtle, but it was there.

"Crap!" exclaimed both Sapphire and Dee.

"What is it?" he sniffed the air and smelled the faint scent of his brother; he was getting closer. "What do we do now?"

"Wait until we tell you to run…" replied Deena.

"When you get her back, go with Tyler and Caroline to grab Bonnie's car. When everyone one is safe at home. Call us back. We will 'occupy' Damon until then." said Athena.

…

To say that his victory had been short-lived would have been an understatement. As soon has he had set foot in the mansion, the possessed Witch had smelled the blood on him and he had been forced to answer who he had drank from, which he hadn't. But he had confessed to her and John that he had killed Elena. The face on the Gilbert patriarch's face had been priceless, but that had only lasted for a few seconds.

Damon had smirked until John had asked him about the ring. And that is when the Vampire had learned that the doppelganger was wearing a ring to prevent her from dying by supernatural death.

Greta had called him an imbecile and had told him to bring back the girl so that she could be used to their advantage. He hated being called an imbecile and there was one thing he would make sure of, the Gilbert girl would die as soon as he would put his hands on her.

"Fuck the plan!" he snarled as he ran to where he had left Elena.

He came to an abrupt stop when he saw that the doppelganger wasn't alone anymore.

"Little brother mine!" he called sarcastically. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Dee, you're ready?" asked Sapphire.

"Of course!" she replied as she ran to Damon and knocked him down before he could react. "Now Stefan!" she screamed.

And the younger Salvatore ran away with Elena.

"Dammit!" screamed Damon as he was lying face down in the dirt. He had failed thanks to shorty and the Shape-shifter.

When Stefan was far enough, Dee backed off from Damon who raged at them as soon as he was up. The three fought; Damon to kill, the two women to keep him occupy.

A good thirty minutes had passed when Sapphire cellphone rang.

"Is everything okay?" she asked.

"_Yes. Elena is sleeping and Bonnie's car is in the garage. You can come back,_" replied Stefan.

"Good. See you later!" said Sapphire before hanging up.

She turned to her friend and mate fighting and tried to read Damon. He was contaminated like Rosemary had been, but luckily for her, Damon was weaker than Rose.

"So, do we have the same problem we had with Rosemary?" asked Deena as she threw Damon toward a tree.

"Yes. The same thing is inside of him. The difference is that it seems… new or unused. I can't really explain it."

"Maybe it's because Rosemary was taken not too long after leaving Mystic Fall."

"Will you stop talking about me as if I wasn't there!" yelled Damon as he went for Sapphire's throat.

She grabbed his shoulders and looked at him straight in the eyes. _[Don't move!]_

"What have you done to me?" he exclaimed as he was stuck on the spot.

Sapphire looked inside and could hear the thing moving frantically like it was trying to fight off her command and Damon started to scream in pain. She removed the command.

"What do we do now?" asked Deena.

"Are you still okay to fight?" asked the Egyptian woman.

The strawberry blond Vampire smirked at her. "Of course I am!" she exclaimed happily.

"Perfect. Hey lover boy want me to tell you how I killed your Petrova lady?" asked Sapphire imitating Damon sexy eyes thing.

Deena laughed out loud as Damon jumped toward his 'lover' murderer. "I didn't know you could imitate him so well. Love it! But don't ever tell him, he would be so sad about it!"

"WILL YOU TWO BOTH SHUT UP AND DIE!"

"You shouldn't be rude with the ladies!" replied Deena and she snapped his neck.

Damon fell to the ground unconscious. Sapphire shifted into Athena and went to her knees beside him. She caressed his hair lovingly and kissed his forehead.

"We will get him back Athena." reassured Deena to her friend confidently.

"I hope, but from what I've learned with Emrick and Slater we can't get rid of this thing inside of him unless he gets his memory back or if he dies."

"Does it have a name?" asked the Vampire curious.

"Probably, but they don't know yet. So far, they only found similar situations happening with most of the time the same endings and they came to that conclusion based on them."

"He will wake up soon. We have to hurry!" replied Deena.

"Let's hurry then!"

…

John was standing next to a window upstairs when he saw Damon coming toward the mansion slowly. The Vampire looked to be in pain; he had encountered troubles for sure. That would explained why it had taken him so long to come back from his simple task to fetch Elena. Talking about the doppelganger; the Vampire was empty handed. John sighed, she wouldn't be happy about the news. As he went down to meet the older Salvatore, he stopped to pick up two blood bags.

He opened the door just as Damon was about to do so.

"You were waiting for me? I didn't know you cared that much for me John… Anything you'd like to share with me?" he asked with a sneer.

"Shut up Damon and drink this!" he replied throwing the blood bags at the Vampire. "She's waiting for us upstairs in Carol's office."

By the time they made it inside the room, Damon was done with his drinking. The two men sat in from of the demon.

"You better have a very good reason for failing such a simple mission Damon…" said Greta annoyed.

"Let's say that she wasn't alone when I got back. My brother, the strawberry blond Vamp and the Shape-shifter were there."

"Was Elena still alive?" asked John, sounding concerned about his daughter wellbeing.

"She was, as she was still wearing her ring. I tried to get her back, but the two women confronted me. They fought me off, while my brother ran away with the Gilbert girl…"

"Don't stop your story on my account!" said John smirking at Damon.

The Vampire growled, but kept on talking. "I think maybe 15 or maybe 30 minutes passed before Stefan called; saying that Elena was safe and back at home. I tried to listen to the whole conversation, but shorty kept distracting me. In the end, when the other one hung up, they talked about me saying stuff that I couldn't understand and then shorty snapped my neck. As soon as I woke up, I came back here."

Greta let both her hands fall heavily on her tights and looked at Damon angrily. She stood up and took an empty glass before filling it with what looked like water. She gave the glass to Damon.

As soon as the glass was in his hand, the Vampire realized that it was actually vervain he was holding.

"What do you want me to do with this? I can't drink a whole glass!" exclaimed Damon.

"I know." she sneered at him.

And that's when it started, the command to drink the whole glass in one shot. It was swirling in his mind; _Drink! Drink! Drink!_ With a trembling hand, he brought the glass to his lips and downed it in one go, before falling to the floor, screaming in agony.

"Should I make him drink another one?" asked the demon to John as she looked down at the writhing Vampire.

John gazed at the suffering man and he found himself surprised to feel compassion for Damon Salvatore. He didn't know what to do, but in the end, he opted to mind his own business.

"It's up to you really." he replied nonchalantly.

Damon was barely able to sit up, when he was presented with a second glass of vervain.

"No more…" replied Damon; his voice hoarse from the poison eating at his throat.

"Just one more dear and then all will be forgiven!" she said sweetly.

The order started again, telling him to drink and he did. He wailed in pain and passed out on the floor.

"Well, that was entertaining." he said flatly.

"Aw! John, where is your sense of humour?" she asked pouting at his response.

"I'm sorry for not seeing this as amusing. Killing him would be simpler, but I know we have to stick to the plan until my job is done."

"Talking about that when will you be done?"

"Everything should be done for the Festival on Sunday. Whatever happens, we will be ready. What about Salvatore?"

"We use him as bait, as I had planned and as soon as the Shape-shifter is dead, you can kill him. Just make sure that you do it when everything is in place."

"As you wish…" He seemed thoughtful.

"Don't worry Jonathan Gilbert; I'm not Klaus, I will keep my promise to release you once I get Klaus back. You have been very loyal since the beginning, but I can't risk you turning your back on me; you understand?"

"I'll avoid trying to understand, but I do admit that my reputation is preceding me."

The demon laughed out loud at his reply.

"Let's go downstairs, I feel like drinking some wine. Can you bring him with us?"

John nodded and with some difficulties, put Damon over his shoulder and brought him to the salon where Greta was already sitting; glass in hand. John dropped the Vampire on one of the armchairs and shared a glass of wine with the possessed Witch.

It took another ten minutes spent in silence before Damon woke up with a start. He looked around frantically before growling out loudly and exited the mansion at supernatural speed.

"Vampires are very impolite," commented Greta as she took another sip of her wine.

"Indeed." replied John.

They kept talking about planning and the woman's brother arrival for about 30 minutes when the front door burst opened surprising both of them. Damon entered the salon, bleeding from multiple wounds on his face and body. John stood up abruptly and ran to the storage and brought back five bags of blood to the Salvatore man.

"What in heaven's name happened to you?" exclaimed John. "You've been gone for just a short time. What kind of trouble have you got yourself into?"

"A short time?" exclaimed Damon enraged as he tore open the bag drinking the blood. "I've been fighting shorty for the last hour! And here you are both of you drinking wine as if I hadn't been gone for long."

"B-But… I don't…" stammered John.

They heard a keen scream coming from the side before a glass was shattered not too far from their feet. They turned and saw Greta yelling maniacally.

"I will kill that bitch of a Shape-shifter!" she roared, breaking more things around.

Suddenly, they all felt a surge of power in the room and turned towards it to see a young Asian man with pitch-black hair with red tips. He had golden eyes. The smile on his face was anything, but nice. The possessed Witch gasped as she saw him.

"Now, now Misao is that a way to greet me?" asked the newcomer.

"Brother!"

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><p><em><strong>AN:** Enjoyed it? Hated it? Leave a comment if you feel like! Always love to read your thoughts! ~ Meye_


	17. 15 Live to tell

_**Disclaimer:** This story is based on characters and situations from The Vampire Diaries series created by L. J. Smith and developed by Kevin Williamson/CW Network. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringements are intended. OCs are all mine, please ask before using them anywhere._

_**Beta Reader:** The lovely OnyxvanGem_

_**A/N:** BETA version is ready so here it is, all edited for you by the AMAZING Onyx! :D _So from this chapter on, I call it the roller-coaster! Have fun guys! _Enjoy the reading!_

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><p><strong><span>Live to tell<span>**

"_Now, now Misao is that a way to greet me?" asked the newcomer._

"_Brother!"_

The Demon jumped into her brother embrace before smiling at each other and he gave her a kiss on the forehead.

"So what was it that I heard; a Shape-shifter in our way?" said the newcomer. He then turned to the two men and extended his hand to them. "My name is Shinichi, I am Misao's older twin brother. But my sister probably already told you about our story."

"Jonathan Gilbert." said the human shaking his hand. "I'm glad that you are finally with us. They have been more challenges than we had foreseen."

"John…" warned Misao.

"Sister, don't! We want the same thing and I'm here to help. You know how a Shape-shifter can be deceiving; you cannot face her on your own if you haven't thought of it before. If you go against her without a plan or back-up, you could get hurt."

Misao pouted, but nodded at her brother.

"And you are?" asked Shinichi looking at the Vampire.

"Damon Salvatore."

"Aw! You are the brother of the other Salvatore. Will you be able to do what is asked of you?"

"My brother is responsible for Katherine's death. I cannot kill him, he is still my brother, but I will gladly kill anyone else," He sneered at Jonathan "Even Elena Gilbert if I have to."

"Good. Misao, I have things to do with Mister Gilbert, please don't do anything reckless while we're gone…?"

"Promise." replied the female Demon.

John didn't argued when Shinichi asked him to go outside. Few minutes later, they were gone in John's car.

"Damon?" asked Misao smirking.

"Yes? Let me guess? Fuck what your brother said?" he replied knowing that smirk on her face.

"Well… yes… almost! I won't do anything now, but I want you to contact the Shape-shifter by phone. Do whatever you want or tell her anything that will convince her to meet us in the woods. I'm sure she will come with some back up, but it won't be enough."

"Will you kill her?" asked Damon with glee.

"Of course." sneered Misao back at him.

"My pleasure then."

Misao laughed to herself; the Shape-shifter would die and nothing would be able to stop them to get Klaus back. But above it all, it would be to bring Damon's memories before killing him that would be priceless. The only thing that she had to do before Sunday was to find which spell Jonas Martin had used to erase the Vampire's memory.

…

Damon made his way to the front porch of the safe house and shifted into Athena. The Vampire clothes hung slackly on her body. She sighed and opened the front door. As soon as she had set a foot inside the house, Deena and Stefan were beside her asking questions.

"Not now…" she murmured holding her hand up. "I need a moment please…"

Both Vampires saw the distress in her eyes and ran to the living room making sure that no one else would asked her questions and let her pass. She slowly made her way up the stairs. Once in her bedroom, she removed her mate's clothes and walked carelessly to the bathroom. She was naked, but wasn't thinking about that at all.

She closed the bathroom's door behind her and entered the shower before opening the water and stepped underneath it. She let her head fall gently to the wall tile and laid her forehead against it.

Huge sobs took her by surprise and she fell to the floor crying for her lost mate. She had hoped that Damon would have been treated with care on the other side, but who was she trying to kid? The Witch and Jonathan Gilbert were manipulating the Vampire. And more, the human hated him, why would he do anything to help her mate at all. Just thinking about what the Witch had made her do; drinking two full glasses of vervain could have been very dangerous for Damon. She was wishing for Damon to be okay; the Witch would be furious to realize the treachery she had been victim of.

She stayed there, crying all the tears in her body and waited until she had found some kind of calm before getting out.

She stood up and got out, drying herself before going back to her bedroom and dressed up. She took a deep breath as she pulled her hair into a messy ponytail. She headed back downstairs, finally ready to face the gang.

Damon's usual armchair was free and she was grateful for the gesture as she sat in it.

"Hey…" whispered Deena smiling gently at her. "You're going to be okay?"

"Yes, don't worry." she answered with all the strength she had left in her.

"Were you able to get anything out of it?" asked Tyler shyly, not wanting to stress her more than she already was.

"Yes. First, Jonathan Gilbert is working with the Witch both against his will and on his own accord. Also, whatever is inside Damon, and was inside Rosemary, it is also inside of him. The only difference is that it is 'inactive' since he is there willingly. But he was infected to make sure he would stay loyal, but he knows what he is doing. But there is something in for him at the end of it all. The Witch promised to give him back his freedom. As for whatever they are planning to do… It should be ready for Sunday for the Heritage Day. Damon is being manipulated; when I went in his place, the Witch, who by the way, looked very similar to a certain Jonas Martin, 'forced' Damon to drink two glasses of vervain."

"Oh my god! Are you okay?" asked Caroline worriedly.

"Care, vervain has no effect on Athena, she's a Shape-shifter, not a Vampire, she probably just faked it!" replied Tyler.

"Oh!" replied the blond Vampire embarrassed.

"It's okay!" said Athena smiling at the young Vampire. "It's easy to forget that most things don't affect me like it does for you, but I do know though how it feels. We are survivors, so we, as Shape-shifters, learn the pains of the other species to imitate their reactions perfectly and be more believable. But let's face it, there is a limit to it, I do feel physical pain. Anyway… we aren't talking about that now, it's not the time."

"So basically, we have to be ready before Sunday for whatever is coming?" inquired Tyler.

"Yes." said the Shape-shifter.

They kept on planning about what they would do till the Heritage Day. One thing was sure, the best option was to get Damon back, but it was pretty much impossible. The thought of having to fight against him was unbearable for them. But if it came down to it, it was clear that Athena would be the one to stop him from hurting everyone.

They finally went to bed around 1am…

…

It was 4am, or maybe later, when Athena's phone rang. She rejected the call without looking at it, but not even a minute later, it was ringing again. She whined in her pillow and looked at the ID caller, Damon. Her breathed caught in her throat. She swallowed a few times and finally answered.

"Phone sex Damon? We never tried that before…" she said lightly.

"_I already tried to sleep with you and you said no. Are you just trying to tease me?"_ replied Damon.

"No." she said seriously. "What do you want my love?"

"_The Witch and I would like to meet you Friday night."_ he answered.

"Just like that? Do you really think I will go Damon? I'm no fool." retorted Athena almost laughing.

"_Actually, you don't have that much of a choice…"_ replied Damon darkly. _"She threatens to kill me if you don't accept to meet us."_

"You are taking this pretty well… I'm surprised," exclaimed Athena.

"_Who said that? I sure didn't!"_ snapped back Damon. _"Thing is, I can't get away unless she frees me. So until the deed is done, I can't leave."_

"I see…" she looked at her son's bedroom door and sighed. "Tell me Damon, is this a trap?"

"_What do you think?"_ replied Damon.

"No my love, I want you to answer me…" she whispered. "Is this a trap?"

"_Yes."_

"The Witch…" she started.

"_Greta Martin."_ cut in the Vampire.

"I knew her face reminded me of Jonas. She wants to kill me Friday, doesn't she?"

"_Yes. That's the plan,"_ said Damon. He didn't know why he was answering her so honestly; Misao would be furious if he failed.

"Are you really in danger if I don't come?"

"_I can't be sure… but she won't be happy if I go back to her empty hand."_

"So basically, you are playing with my feelings for you?" She held a hand to her chest, feeling her heart's erratic drumming inside. She had no choice. She had to try something, anything.

"_Still there?"_ asked Damon cockily.

"Yes I am… I will come Friday. I promise." she said defeated.

"_Well that was easy. If I had known that I only had to ask, I would have skipped the foreplay,"_ retorted the Vampire annoyed. _"Oh! Before I forget, thank you! I've heard from Jonathan that you took two glasses of vervain for me…"_

"Vervain doesn't affect me my love… but it was my pleasure."

"_And here I was trying to be nice!"_

"Mm…" she replied obviously not listening anymore.

"_You do realize that you still own me for killing my Katherine. The first chance I get…"_

"I know, my love, you will kill me," she said interrupting him. "I haven't forgotten. Good bye Damon, I will see you on Friday." And she hung up.

She threw her phone across the room and it hit the wall before falling to the hardwood floor. She gathered her knees to her chest and lied back on her side, sobbing. This was too much for her to bear alone, but what could she do; no one could help her.

This was almost a suicide mission for her, but she had to do it; she had to bring Damon back to her, no matter what it meant for her own safety…

_~ Friday – April 27th 2012 ~_

Friday came too fast; the meeting was in less than an hour. They would be running there. Everyone had tried to talk Athena out of it, but she had refused to take any chances in hurting Damon. It had been decided that most of the gang would stay behind since it was almost a suicide mission. Only Lucy, Bonnie and Stefan would be going. Normally, Athena would have accepted for only the two Witches to follow and no one else, but the younger Salvatore brother had refused to stay put. So after an hour of arguing, Athena had let it go and concede to let him come.

It had come to a shock for everyone to learn about the identity of the Witch trying to kill them; Greta Martin. But it was obvious to them that she was probably not in control of her body anymore.

Everyone was getting ready in case of an emergency; they had everything prepared: blood bags, werewolf bite cure, etc. Even Caroline was ready to give her blood in case Stefan was incapacitated.

When everything was finally ready, Bonnie upped onto Sapphire's back while Lucy got onto Stefan's. They said their goodbyes and ran out to the woods.

…

Sapphire knew exactly where to run, she knew it in her heart where this road was leading her. If her heart were still beating, it would have been drumming inside her chest.

"Be ready!" called out Sapphire to her three companions. "They are already there. I can already smell Damon."

They all nodded. It took mere seconds and they were at their final destination.

It was hard to miss as the Witch stood side by side with Damon with torches lighting the small clearing they were in. They came to a halt about 20 feet from them.

"I'm surprise you came, Shape-shifter!" said Greta smirking. "I'm pretty sure that all of your senses are screaming to run away. It's surprising what you would do for a man you are pretending to love."

"I'm not pretending, you bitch!" snarled Sapphire, her eyes turning as black as night. "He is my mate!"

The Witch played it as if she hadn't the woman's reply. "So I see that you brought back-up with you… But it won't change anything if you have never met my kind and we both know it."

"How can you believe such a monster?" yelled Bonnie at Damon. "How can you trust them over your own family?"

"Forget it Bonnie, he's gone! And it will stay like that for as long as he doesn't get his memories back…" said Lucy.

The Demon sneered; she had to provoke the woman to attack for her plan to work. So she did the only thing she knew would work and sent Damon flying against a three; impaling him in the shoulder. Sapphire growled deeply and ran to the Witch and the most amazing battle Stefan, Bonnie, Lucy and Damon had ever seen played in from of them as the Shape-shifter showed her full potential in combat. She was shifting from Zeus to Sapphire to air and water in a matter of seconds, avoiding the Witch, but making sure to leave damages behind.

Damon moved away from the three and to his brother surprise, he took a blood bag out of his leather coat and drank it, healing himself in the process as if nothing had happened. The older Salvatore made his way to the battling women and Stefan ran to stop him, but bumped into an invisible barrier.

"No…" he said terrified. "It's a trap…" he looked at the Witch and saw glee in her eyes. "GET BACK HERE!"

But it was too late as Greta finally got what she wanted and used a small opening to grab the Shape-shifter's throat, trying to push her down to the ground.

"Gotcha!" screamed the Witch in victory.

"N-No…" replied Sapphire in denial as she felt her shifting ability being neutralised by the Witch magic.

She fell to the ground under the pressure against her neck and shifted back into herself. She tried to hit Greta, but to no avail. And she was overtaken by panic, before she looked up realizing what was happening.

"Athena!" yelled Lucy. "I, we can't come to you; Greta did something, we can't go further."

"So Athena is your name…" said Greta gazing back at her Vampire slave. "We finally got her real name! It's so pathetic to be named after such a strong deity and still be so fragile."

Athena tried to shift again into water or air, but it wasn't working. Damon came closer as she heard her friends screaming in despair.

She could barely breathe as the possessed Greta Martin kept squeezing her neck tightly. She looked behind the witch shoulder and saw her mate sneering down at her. It was just like the dream she had had so many weeks ago, when she had woken up in tears in the middle of the night. Damon had barely been able to comfort her as she had cried in his arms. In her dream, no, her vision, Damon had killed her, as she had been unable to use her shifting power to save herself. The short pain had been excruciating and if ever his memories came back; her mate would never forgive himself and would probably kill himself.

"You are so useless without your powers!" spit Misao at the Shape-shifter. "Look at you! I should ask your precious Vampire to rip your heart out!"

"ATHENA!" screamed Stefan and the two Witches; as the invisible barrier kept them from moving forward.

"Damon, please, you have to remember her! She's your mate, the mother of your child. I'm begging you, brother, listen to me. You have to remember." said Stefan.

Lucy looked at her cousin. "Follow my lead." And she started to chant in Latin, taking her cousin's hand in hers.

After a few try, Bonnie was able to chant the spell perfectly and she could feel her magic mixing with Lucy's and floating toward their soon to be fallen friend.

Misao groaned as she felt as if her hands were turning to ice. She glared at the witches, but knew that with all the energy she was using to keep the Shape-shifter from changing and the trio from moving, she couldn't do anything else. She gasped when she saw the woman under her hands transforming into a man.

"Athena, what are you doing? Please just escape, we need you! We can try later to get Damon back!" begged Stefan desperately.

Zeus looked up again at the demon trapped in the Witch body and Damon. He could feel the Witches powers decreasing rapidly.

"Remember me…" he said looking straight into the Vampire eyes, before changing back into Athena.

"N-No!" said Stefan tears falling down his cheeks as he tried in vain to knock down the barrier with his fists. Both witches had fainted and he would have to be sole witness of his brother killing his own mate. He couldn't watch the horrible scene to come; he closed his eyes.

"Kill her!" commanded Misao.

"My pleasure!" replied Damon, sneering.

Misao started to laugh as Damon moved closer, but it was cut short as she barely had a second to feel the older Vampire's hand crushing her spine, until it reached her heart and ripped it out. She fell over Athena, pure shock on her face. The Shape-shifter pushed her to the side with a disgusted moan.

Stefan opened his eyes, blinking at the scene. He couldn't believe what he was seeing, what had he missed?

Damon smiled down lovingly at his mate and did his sexy eyes thing. "My Athena… So good to be back… Did I kill anyone?"

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><p><em><strong>AN:** What happened? Are you as confused as Stefan, or did you caught on? XD This last scene (starting at the part where Athena is on the ground with Misao/Greta's hand around her throat was one of the first scene to be written, but the chapter (as a whole) was the last one to be written! Hun? Express yourself and review! __~ Meye_


	18. 16 So long my friend

_**Disclaimer:** This story is based on characters and situations from The Vampire Diaries series created by L. J. Smith and developed by Kevin Williamson/CW Network. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringements are intended. OCs are all mine, please ask before using them anywhere._

_**Beta reader:** The lovely and sonic-y _OnyxvanGem__

_**A/N:** IT'S SATURDAY! New chapter! For those who were confused with what Damon meant by what he said... you'll get your answer! No more babbling... Enjoy the chapter! You get some errr 'Dathena' or maybe 'Aamon' smut! (LOL)_

_**Special thank you to:** Haruka83, TinyDancer365 and Yeluz_

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><p><strong><span>So long my friend<span>**

_Damon smiled down lovingly at his mate and did his sexy eyes thing. "My Athena… So good to be back… Did I kill anyone?"_

The Shape-shifter extended her hand to the Vampire and Damon took it before pulling her up to him and kissing her deeply. He groaned into the kiss as he let his hands roam over her body. She felt like he was trying to eat everything that she was in that passionate kiss.

"Damon…" she moaned into his mouth. "Love you so much."

"I've missed you… Love you…" he replied just as desperate. Kissing her like this, it felt like the best thing in the world.

"What the hell is going on?" exclaimed Stefan as he walked to the couple when the barrier fell.

"Stefan, brother mine, one thing will never change; you sure know how to break a mood." replied Damon with a smile.

"No time to explain, we have to burn the body!" said Athena looking at Damon. "The short time I was Zeus and triggered your memories, I was able to feel her properly. She was a Demon bound to Greta Martin's body. We have to burn her to make sure that her essence won't be transferred into another body."

"I know about the Demon…" She looked at him curiously. "I have blank spot in my head, which are probably the moment she controlled me, but I can remember everything else and I have stuff to say for sure… Anyway, do it! Burn the bitch! Stefan, with me! We need to give our blood to the witches. I don't think we have much time until her brother realizes she's missing," said Damon as he walked to Lucy and Bonnie lying on the ground.

Athena shifted into Zeus and concentrated hard to contain the fire as she lighted up the dead Witch. She felt something trying to get out and placed a small dome around the body as it burned. She increased the flames making sure that only dust would be left.

"What the hell happened, Damon?" asked again Stefan as he fed his blood to Bonnie. Then, it was like something had hit him. "I'm sorry; did you just say _'her brother'_?"

"It's a long story and I can tell you one thing; you will probably be mad at us. Well, the whole gang will be mad actually, but we didn't have any other choice," answered Damon, his face serious.

"What do you mean _'you didn't have any other choice'_?"

"It was that or Athena dying and I couldn't bear losing her, Stefan. We knew the risks we were taking, but we had to." He looked down as Lucy's eyes fluttered open. "Hello, Miss Bennett!" he said smiling.

"Damon? You're back?" she murmured eyes big as a saucer.

"Yes I am." he replied simply. "Now, as soon as Athena will be done, we will have to leave, we can't linger behind. I have so much to tell you."

"But the thing inside of you?" asked Stefan.

"Destroyed, but I'll let Athena explain that part to you, magic stuff and all, not my thing!" he laughed then hummed when he felt a hand caressing his hair. He looked up and saw Athena gazing down at him tears falling down her face. "Hey there, it's okay; I'm all right!"

He stood up and embraced her tightly against his chest. He kissed her again before going to pick up Lucy and helping her on his back. Stefan did the same with Bonnie. Athena shifted into Sapphire and they ran off to their safe house.

…

When they made it to the house's front porch; the five supernatural sighed. They went inside where everyone was waiting for them.

"Damon!" gasped Alaric, surprised to see the elder Salvatore.

They all stood up as they saw the Vampire back at his mate' side. It felt weird to see him there. It had been over three weeks since Damon had fought against them.

"_Papa_!" screamed Rain happily as he ran to his father.

"My little man!" replied Damon laughing as he took his son in his hands and swirled him around. "How have you been doing?"

The little boy pouted. "Missed you daddy!"

"I missed you too little man! I'm back now… Kiss?" he replied, happiness filling him upon seeing his son.

Rain giggled and gave a big smooch to his father's lips and then squealed happily. Both father and son smiled at each other before Rain gave Damon's neck a tight embrace and laid his head on his shoulder.

"Hey guys!" he greeted everyone casually in the room who were still gobsmacked by his presence.

"How did you managed to get him back?" asked Tyler who couldn't believe his eyes.

"That's actually what I'd like to know myself…" said Stefan in a severe tone, almost glaring at his brother and his brother's mate.

"What happened?" demanded Alaric.

"Okay, guys, I haven't seen my son in three weeks and haven't been close to Athena for the same amount of time… Right now, I actually don't care about what you want! Me and my family will spend some quality time alone and then, we will come back to tell you everything that you want to know!" said Damon before running off at top speed, leaving behind his blushing mate who ran after him.

"Well, at least, Stefan, you can tell us what you know for now!" exclaimed Deena as she sat back.

Everyone followed her example and Stefan told his story.

Up in their bedroom, Damon went to the nursery to put his sleeping son in his cot and closed the door on his way back to his bed. He made sure to place the baby monitor close to him and jumped on the bed. He turned around, lied on his stomach and inhaled deeply taking the scent of his mate.

Athena came in and closed the door. She walked hastily to their bed and lied beside Damon. But as soon as she was beside him, Damon stood up and picked her up in his arms bridal style and went to the bathroom to take a shower with her. Once inside, they shared many kisses and caresses.

They didn't take long and came back to bed right after, towel around their body.

"Hey…" she whispered.

Damon smirked at her and mere minutes later, they were both naked and under the covers. The Vampire just held her close while caressing the nape of her neck and the small of her back.

"How are you?" asked Athena quietly. "I mean, how are you adjusting?"

"I'm so sorry for what I've said… especially about Stefan. I cannot believe I said that, you sleeping with him that would be the end of the world!"

"It's okay. You meant it because you weren't yourself, well you were, but that was the old Damon, but damn, you were hot, still are."

"And I killed Elena… Well that can't be good… I don't think she and my brother will be very happy about that one… Tell me junior Bennett won't torch me for that?" he said before he smiled devilishly. "I was hot hmm?" he continued as he spanked her lightly. "And you, teasing the crap out of me with your skinny dipping and phone sex…?" he finished and spanked her again.

"Hey! That was a compliment! And I was horny as hell!" complained the Shape-shifter.

"I know…" he said before looking at her hungrily. "I feel like devouring you. I want you so badly!"

"You can't drink too much or you'll get way too drunk and pass out," she warned him gently.

"Thanks, by the way, for giving me your blood, even though I didn't deserve it…"

"But you did. Damon you had to sacrifice everything that you had achieved. You were in so much pain when I… I'm so sorry…" she replied bursting into tears.

"Okay, we went from thinking about sex to super 'angsty' stuff…" he said trying to calm her down, which worked as she laughed a little bit. He looked at her straight in the eyes. "Athena, if I hadn't done it, you would be dead right now. If I had to redo it again to save you, I would; a thousand times and more."

Athena gave him a blinding smile and kissed him. Damon let his hands roamed over her body and his lips went to her neck sucking on her jugular.

"Go on…" encouraged the Shape-shifter. She had missed being close to him like this.

Damon bit down and moaned deeply as he felt her sweet blood hitting his tongue. He could remember almost everything from the past three weeks, even drinking Athena's blood, but this moment couldn't compare. He felt at home, finally.

"Damon…" warned his mate.

And he stopped; he didn't want to faint, not now. He turned them around, lying on top of her, settling himself between her legs. They gazed at each other as Damon entered her slowly, swallowing her groan with a kiss. Their lovemaking was slow, but intense.

"It's been too long…" murmured Damon as he bit down on her lower lip, without braking the skin, and pulled it toward him for a few seconds, before letting go.

Athena lifted her legs until her ankles rested against the back of his tights. She caressed his hair and let her hands run down to his arse cheeks and grabbed them; pulling him deeper inside her core.

"Oh… god… yes… Damon… Fuck!" moaned the Shape-shifter as her mate kept hitting her g-spot, making her see stars.

"You feel amazing…" growled out Damon, voice filled with love and pure lust.

The Vampire kept pumping into his mate slowly, but with hard thrusts until they were both so close to the edge that they were barely coherent. When he felt her walls closing down on his erection, it drove him mad and he started to pound inside her faster and deeper. She came mere seconds before him, her back arching up as he bit her breast gently.

He fell on top of her body, glistering with sweat.

"Fuck…" he murmured against her ears. "That was…"

"Amazing? Unforgettable? Magic? Spectacular?"

"All of the above!"

They both laugh lightly. They stayed together, spooning for a little longer before taking another shower and dressing up to go back downstairs. As much as they would have loved to stay hidden for the next week, they knew talking with the gang was unavoidable.

…

John was looking nervously at the time. Misao had been gone for almost two hours now and he didn't like it. Actually, he hated it. He was just hoping that he would get out of this alive and, preferably, in one piece. How far had he fallen since his last visit in Mystic Fall?

He looked again at his watch and sighed heavily. Could the gang have defeated Misao and Damon? The Demon was so strong now with both father and daughter's power, how could they have succeeded where Klaus and Greta had failed. Yet again, Misao and her brother hadn't been able to find Klaus until it had been too late. The gang had caught him first and had found a way to get rid of him, which was very impressive.

They couldn't be that strong though… right? Yet again, he didn't know the extent of the Shape-Shifter's powers. He had tried on his side to find more about them, but most of it where false information to convince people that Shape-shifters were weaker than they were. If she was that strong, how many aces up her sleeves was she still hiding from them?

John had shared his thoughts about Klaus and the gang with Misao, but she had refused to believe his theories. He would never tell her, but he thought she was being stupid and careless for not taking in consideration his hypothesis. As strong as the Shape-shifter was, one thing was sure for him, the gang couldn't have done such a powerful spell by themselves. Something was missing…

Misao blindly thought the Shape-shifter was responsible for everything, but John had seen and read many things. Getting rid of Klaus, who had stolen power from a Demon and many other creatures, would have made him too strong for the gang to handle. So, his theory was that they weren't aware of at least another player and that whoever it was, she or he was very powerful.

Another thing he would never admit, he was scared to death. At first, he had thought it would be the easiest thing he had ever done, but as the days kept on progressing and the plans kept on getting squashed, he felt this sense of dread creeping up in his mind; telling him that maybe; just maybe they had seriously underestimated their enemies.

If the gang had succeeded in bringing back Damon to them, what would happen to Misao and the plan? There were only a few days left before everything was ready; he still had a few persons to see, but everything would be in place.

"I can't do more anyway…" he murmured.

He sighed as he sat in one of the three armchairs, close to a window. He picked up a random book from the coffee table and started to read.

He had been reading for the last twenty minutes when his phone vibrated in his left pocket. He put down his book and picked up his phone.

"John's speaking." he answered, unsure of whom was calling him.

"_Mister Gilbert, this is Shinichi. Do you know where my sister is? I've been trying to reach her for the last hour and she isn't answering…"_ replied the demon. There was a long silence on the other side of the phone. _"Mister Gilbert, if my sister gave you an order to keep quiet about it, I will warn you only once to tell me what she's doing without my knowledge and consent!"_ finished the twin brother obviously aggravated by the man's silence.

"Misao decided to go forward with her previous plan and contacted the gang. She left more than two hours ago with Damon Salvatore to kill the Shape-shifter and whoever she had brought with her." answered John.

"_She did WHAT?"_ yelled Shinichi. _"Stay inside in case she comes back before me."_

"Where are you going?"

"_Looking for her!"_ he replied and hung up.

…

The Demon was panicking. He had tried to find his sister earlier, but could barely feel her, which wasn't normal. He stopped searching frantically and concentrated his thoughts and energy on his twin. It was only after a while that he was able to feel a very small spark. He focused on it and disappeared.

He reappeared in the middle of nowhere in the wood. He wasn't in Mystic Fall anymore; but not too far from it either. He felt a huge amount of residual magic around him. The level was impressive, but it wasn't his sister, but someone else. Still, he could feel his sister around and looked closely.

"No…" he cried out when he saw the pile of ashes close to his feet.

He bent down and touched the ashes, feeling what was left of his twin sister.

"Misao, what have they done to you… How was that even possible?" he said letting the ashes slipping between his fingers slowly.

He stood up and tried to sense the Salvatore Vampire and was surprised to actually feel him very well. The Vampire seemed to be at the top of his form and he was obviously happy. The Demon snarled at the empty space and disappeared.

…

John's heart jumped when Shinichi materialised beside him. He looked enraged so the man kept quiet.

"They got to her. I don't know how, but they succeeded in killing my Misao and, to top it off, the older Salvatore is back in their folds." He took a deep breath and looked at the Gilbert man. "They will pay dearly for what they have done. Be prepared for Sunday! I will keep my sister's promise to you, but if you screw up, I will kill you without any second thoughts."

"Everything will be done!" answered a frightened John.

Misao had been reckless and childish through their entire plan. Of course, she was smart, but she tended to underestimate her adversaries. Even after learning that the gang had a Shape-shifter in their team and more, the woman was going out with none other Damon Salvatore of all people; she hadn't changed her strategy and had seen the new opponent as a small bump in the ride. She was scary, but not to the same level as her brother. Shinichi was something else, cruel, calculating and unforgiving. He was more paused than his twin sister, which made him, in John's opinion, more dangerous.

"I will see you on Sunday." said the Demon before marching out the front door.

…

The gang had been waiting for a good hour and a half when the newly reunited couple came back downstairs, into the living room. Damon sat in one of the free armchairs, and, before Athena was able to do the same, he pulled her to him, making her sit on top of him.

"You are not going anywhere from me…" he whispered affectionately.

"Okay…" she replied, getting comfy against his hard chest. She turned to her friends. "Go on guys, we are ready for you!"

"What the hell happened?" asked Stefan in an angry tone. "'Cause it looks to me like you both knew what was happening the whole time…"

"Is that true?" asked Bonnie, concern marring her face.

"It is far more complicated than what you all think," answered Damon. "The truth isn't black and white, it's gray. We had a choice to make and for me, it was easy to choose…"

"Guys, let them talk will you!" reprimanded Alaric, being the voice of reason once more.

"I agree! Let's hear what they have to say." seconded Lucy.

Damon and Athena nodded at each other. She felt his cold, but reassuring arm encircling her in a tight embrace as she told their story.

_[Flashback]_

_~ March 12th 2012 – 1:13 am ~_

_Damon had woken up for no particular reason and had gone to the bathroom to wash his face. He jumped when he heard Zeus talking, no, moaning in pain, back in his bed and walked back toward the sound. To say he was shocked to see a naked, but at least covered, Zeus trashing on his bed would be an understatement. He sat on the bed next to Zeus and tried to wake him up._

"_No… please, no…" mumbled Zeus with a huge frown on his face. "Don't… I'm… begging you…"_

"_Zeus! Wake up!" said Damon shaking the druid, but to no avail._

_Athena's druid form was stuck in a nightmare, no, a vision, and couldn't get out. She had explained to Damon, that it would sometimes happen to Cleatus and that until the vision had passed, nothing could be done. The trashing became erratic and Damon started to panic._

"_You can't… Come back to me… please…" said Zeus as tears fell from his eyes._

"_Dammit! Wake up!" yelled Damon._

"_Not this… DAMON!" cried out Zeus sitting up and shifting back into Athena midway, breathing hard and fast as she held her hand against her heart._

"_Athena…?" asked Damon in a low voice._

_But the Shape-shifter was gone in another world. She stood up and ran as fast as she could to the bathroom and emptied the content of her stomach in the toilet._

"_Oh… god… no…" she kept saying as she retched, face down._

_Damon kneeled beside her, pulled her hair back and applied a cold cloth to her neck. He caressed her arm affectionately before settling his hand at the small of her back._

"_Talk to me… please… you're scaring the crap out of me," begged Damon._

_His mate lifted her head, when she looked at him, her eyes were wide open and for the first time in his life, Damon saw fear in them. A deep running fear that was directed at him; she was scared of him and that simple thought terrified him more than he thought possible._

"_Athena, what did you see?" he asked, trying to calm himself down as he wiped her mouth clean. He gave her something to rinse off her mouth and she did._

"_I…" she started and then broke down in huge sobs, still holding a hand to her heart._

_The Vampire pulled her in his arms to reassure her and was surprised when she became hysteric in his arms. She was so scared and couldn't snap out of it. Damon did the only thing he could and bit her neck, drawing blood in hope of tiring her. It worked._

_He picked her up and brought her back to bed, sitting and placing her between his tights, covering her naked body with the duvet and she cried for the longest time; unable to talk. Damon waited until her breathing was normal again. He thought she had fallen asleep, but she was simply mute._

"_Hey… can you talk about it now?" he murmured as he lifted her head so that he could gaze at her. The fear was gone, but it had been replaced by something more terrifying; fatality._

"_I will die," she said in a small voice, so low he almost missed it._

"_You will not!" denied Damon._

"_I saw it… my heart ripped out of me. It hurt so much… And I couldn't do anything to stop it. No one could…"_

"_Will I be there?" he asked, sacred of the answer._

"_Yes." she replied barely keeping the sobs down._

"_Why won't I help?" he said confused._

"_Because you will be the one to kill me…"_

"_No… I won't; I couldn't! Never Athena." he denied again._

"_No matter what we do, you will be taken by them, whoever they are, and they will turn you against me, against us. The way you looked at me, you didn't even know who I was."_

"_Can we stop it?" asked Damon, desperation dancing in his eyes._

"_I…"_

"_Athena, you can see things as Zeus, do it; change and try to find a way!"_

…

_After an hour or two of meditating, she changed back into herself and sat back on the bed in front of the Vampire. She putted her hands in his and took a deep breath._

"_Can we save you?" he begged._

"_Yes, but… I can't do that to you Damon…" she replied eyes already tearing up._

"_Tell me." he ordered._

"_We have to use you as a Trojan horse."_

"_You mean like me being a double agent? That doesn't sound so bad."_

"_It's more than that. I would have to temporary erase your memory of the last years. Damon, you will forget about everything that happened in Mystic Fall. It would bring you back to the first days you've arrived here. All the hate, the darkness… everything will be back." She looked straight in his eyes. "I cannot do that to you Damon."_

"_If I do this, will you live?"_

"_Yes, but…"_

"_I'll do it then," cut in the Vampire. "Athena, I cannot live without you. I can't! I would do anything to save you."_

"_Damon…"_

"_No! You will NOT die! Do you hear me?" he said, his voice rising._

_She simply nodded._

"_Will I be like Rose, with something inside of me?"_

"_Yes."_

"_Then, we have to prepare. You need to find a way to protect my memories and myself in general. We have to be sure of the spells to use and how to bring me back to you."_

"_I will have to find something in Cleatus books."_

"_We can't tell anyone of this. They will all be too emotional and won't understand why. Above that, they won't be able to act the right way and will hesitate to fight me… but I know you won't."_

"_I don't want to hurt you."_

"_Athena, look at me! Will I die if I do this?"_

"_N-No."_

"_Then there is nothing to decide; I will go. Just do everything you can to protect me from hurting you and our son…"_

"_I can't do that for myself, but I will for Rain."_

"_Thank you."_

…

_And they read the whole night; looking for books and spells that could help them in preventing the Shape-shifter's murder at the hands of her own mate. It was a very hard task to accomplish, but they were desperate to succeed. Zeus had seen it; only Damon's false treachery would save her from dying._

_After more than four hours of reading, Athena had finally found the right spell; it had been in one of Cleatus books written in Gaelic. Luckily for her, assimilating the Druid essence in her had given her the knowledge to read the same languages as Cleatus._

_The spell wasn't that simple, but would be easy for Zeus to perform. It was built to put all the chosen memories and the essence of the person, at the moment the spell was performed, in a crystal box hidden inside the 'victim' and invisible for anyone, but the caster. The spell could be release with a trigger and they had chosen Athena's Druid form saying 'Remember me'. They had also put an emergency trigger, which was in case Damon tried to kill someone who didn't have his/her ring on or stake anyone._

_They had also found a protective spell for him in case he was discovered. The spell was infused in a new ring that he would have to wear. The ring would only be removable by Damon or Athena. The ring was the same as Jeremy's ring but for a Vampire. That specific spell would be very demanding since it was against nature to protect supernatural beings; especially dark ones such as Werewolves or Vampires._

_The last thing they had discussed had been about where they would cast the spell. It had to be believable for both sides. She knew someone would do the erasing in a more barbaric way if it wasn't her. She still didn't know who it was yet, but she would have to take their blood and shift into them._

_The plan was decided and as soon as the next enemy was known, it would be set into motion. Damon had to save her, no matter what…_

_[End of flashback]_

When they were done with that part, Damon told them everything he knew about the Demons twins, Shinichi and Misao.

The whole gang was watching the couple with facial expression ranging from utter shock to sadness. The last three weeks had been hard for everyone with Damon fighting against them. It was obvious that Elena would be uncomfortable alone with Damon for a long time and that her death at his hands had caused a rift in their close friendship.

But if she had to be honest with herself and selfish, Athena wasn't really sad about it. As much as she loved Elena, she had a hard time with anyone Damon had loved before her. It wasn't that she doubted her mate's love for her, far from it, but she had waited so long for him that any form of 'competition' made her teeth cringe. Damon was like that in a way, well maybe worst sometimes, but she loved that about him, when he was all territorial.

"Wow…" said Caroline. "I can't find it in myself to be angry with you… Damon what you did to save Athena… That was the most selfless thing I've ever seen you do. I don't know what to say; I guess, I'm just glad that you are both alright."

Deena turned to her best friend. "So if I get this right, tonight you would have died if you hadn't triggered Damon's memory?"

"Yes. Damon would have been taken no matter what. When I meditated to find a solution; the only way was to put Damon there on purpose, so that's what we did. But it had to be believable, so I caught Jonas Martin one day following Damon and I. I erased his memory, but drank some of his blood first. When I shifted into him I had my Druid powers so it was just a question of making everyone believe." replied the Shape-shifter.

"What about us? What about Damon?" asked Stefan, frustrated, "Elena could have died, just like Damon; if your plan had failed…"

"No offence Stefan, but that wasn't their fault." cut in Tyler, defending the couple and surprising everyone in the process. "I mean, Elena and Jeremy were asked NOT to leave the house alone under any circumstance and she did it nonetheless. You cannot blame Athena for that or Damon…"

"Stefan," said Elena putting her hand on his forearm. "I was reckless, please don't blame them."

The young Salvatore simply nodded and kept quiet.

"As for my protection," replied Damon. "I was well protected as she told you. It was because Athena learned that only my death or gaining back my memory could kill the thing inside; that she did a spell to protect my essence. Basically, when my memory was triggered, the spell destroyed anything that wasn't me. And in case I was to kill someone unprotected, like you, Stefan, the spell would have brought me down. And if I were in serious danger, the ring would have protected me from dying by faking my death and alerting Athena. She would have never done it any other way."

"I'd say, let's just be happy that everyone is okay now!" exclaimed Alaric, trying to break the awful mood. "Guys, I understand that some of you are angry with Athena and Damon for lying, but they had to do it to save Athena. I think the three weeks spent apart with the way Damon was acting was enough punishment for them. We don't have to argue with them over it; what's done is done. Let's move on!"

"Well said!" replied Jeremy. "So, what do we do about John and the other twin? We need to stop them!"

"Oh! Before I forget," started Alaric. "Emrick sent me more information about Shinichi and Misao; well, more about Misao anyway; well, more about Demons; well, more about Japanese Demons in any case! You get what I mean! Left everything in my car, give me a second!" he finished and stood up taking his keys on the way out.

"Back to John…" started Jeremy.

"Something is happening on Sunday, but I don't know what… At first, I thought that something had to be ready, but it is more than that, they are planning to do something on that day." said Damon. "This pisses me off. I can remember everything, but for random blank spots and seriously it can't be anything else then when Misao was compelling me into doing something… Dammit!"

"Err, guys? During the Heritage Day, every single citizens of Mystic Fall will be there." replied Caroline.

"Oh! My god, they are going to attack the whole city in the middle of the day?" said Bonnie horrified.

Suddenly, Deena, who had been smiling while looking at Alaric outside, stood up sharply and looked around quickly. She sniffed the air and turned back to the history teacher coming toward the house.

"No… ALARIC!" she yelled running at full Vampire speed outside.

The gang stood up just as fast and ran to the front door. They all jumped back in shock when they saw Alaric flying through the window, before crashing on the floor. Elena, Jeremy, Stefan and Tyler stayed with the history teacher making sure he was going to be okay, while the rest of the gang ran to the front porch.

They looked up just in time to see a black and red fur fox with his jaw around Deena's neck tearing her head apart from the rest of her body, which fell limply to the ground where Alaric had stood seconds before.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN:** So Review if you feel like it! I'll happily read them... I think I just shocked half the readers! Thank you again for reading! ~Meye_

_**Translation:**_  
><em><strong>Papa<strong> - Dady_


	19. 17 Je ferme les yeux

_**Disclaimer:**__This story is based on characters and situations from__The Vampire Diaries__series created by__L. J. Smith__and developed by__Kevin Williamson/CW Network__. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringements are intended. OCs are all mine, please ask before using them anywhere._

_**Beta reader:** Sonic-y _OnyxvanGem__

_**A/N:** Latest chapter and we are sooooo close to the end already! What a ride! The only thing I have to say is get some tissues for this chapter! XD It was seriously the hardest chapter for me to write emotionally. Big thank you to: Haruka83, Joyce013. Enjoy the reading!_

_Oh before I forget the title is in French and it means "I close my eyes"._

* * *

><p><strong><span>Je ferme les yeux<span>**

_They looked up just in time to see a black and red fur fox with his jaw around Deena's neck tearing her head apart from the rest of her body, which fell limply to the ground._

"DEENA!" screamed Athena as she shifted into Zeus. "No! No! No!" she extended her arm and sent the biggest blast she could produce to the Demon.

Shinichi fell to the ground 20 feet away from the broken body of Deena and howled in pain. He tried to get up, but found himself stuck on the ground. If his rage hadn't clouded his mind and heart, he would have been shocked by the strength in the Shape-shifter's power.

"Do something dammit!" yelled Zeus in tears as he gave a quick glance to the Bennett Witches.

Bonnie and Lucy were startled out of their shock and used whatever energy they had left in them to levitate Deena's body and head to them. By the time the parts were with them at their feet, Zeus was starting to lose control over the Demon. The Druid had never faced a Demon before and the fox like Demon was very powerful, too powerful for him to control.

"_This isn't over!"_ snarled the Demon as he broke the force field surrounding him.

"No it isn't!" raged Zeus before falling to her knees and shifting back into Athena.

The Demon disappeared leaving the distressed gang behind. Athena crawled to her best friend. She took Deena's head delicately in her hands, kissing the forehead lightly and rocked her whole body before deep sobs escaped her mouth.

Caroline fell to her knees beside Athena and looked wide-eyes at the destroyed body of the woman she had started to see as a big sister. She lifted a hand to the Shape-shifter's shoulder. She wanted to scream, cry and rage on, but nothing came out, only tears kept falling silently as she stayed mute.

Damon knowing that someone had to do something ran inside to look for his brother who was coming down the stairs.

"What happened?" he asked troubled, to his older brother.

"Where is everyone else?" said Damon avoiding the question.

"With Alaric… he wasn't wearing his ring… He died from the impact… but if he wasn't wearing his ring, it can only means that he had exchanged blood with Deena and they were letting fate decide when he would become a Vampire… When he'll wake up, he will be in transition." he finally heard people outside trying to comfort Athena who couldn't stop sobbing. When he looked back at his brother, he could see the pain in them. "Damon?"

"Deena saved Alaric from Shinichi, but… she sacrificed her life for his… She was beheaded…" answered Damon in a whisper. He saw a shocked Tyler above the stairs. "Tyler, go get Caroline. Stefan, please get Bonnie and Lucy to bed, they used too much magic… I will take care of Athena and Deena…"

Both Tyler and Stefan ran outside and did as the older man had said. When everyone was gone, Damon went back outside. Athena was obviously exhausted and had cried herself to sleep. He picked her up and brought her to their bedroom. He gently put her down and caressed her hair softly.

"I am so sorry, my love…" he murmured. He took a deep breath and walked back downstairs.

Along the way, he could barely keep out everyone's crying. He knew he would have to deal with it too at one point, but right now, he had to be strong for both Athena and Alaric. He knew the professor would be heartbroken upon waking up.

He took two white sheets and used one to cover the dining table and put down the other one on a chair. He walked to the front door. Seeing Deena's head outside startled him. He had seen it minutes ago, but it seemed more real now. He picked up the petite Vampire's body and brought it in the dining room. He laid it over the sheet and went back outside to pick up her head and place it above what was left of her neck. He used a travel neck pillow to hold the head in place.

He spread the second sheet over her, making sure that even if her head was seen, it wouldn't look like it had been cut off from the rest of the body. He ran around the house and took all the flowers he could find and removed the petals before letting them fall over the sheet. When he was done, he used screens to create some privacy for whoever wanted to see her.

When the last screen was put in place, he took a chair nearby and sat down beside Deena.

"Of all the people in this house…" he whispered. "Why did it have to be you? She had already lost Cleatus, now you… Why, Deena? Why? What did we do to deserve such pain…? Just when we thought that we were finally seeing some flicker of light in this mess…" he laid his hand over her draped one. "What am I supposed to tell her now? This is so unfair… Am I a monster for wishing that it had been someone else? We had managed to stay strong together this whole time… and… we were; are so close to the end of it… and you had to go and die and leave Alaric…" Damon stood up, unable to deal with her death at the moment. He didn't want to get too emotional. "Rest in peace, my friend."

The Vampire opened his bedroom's door and closed it behind him. Luckily for them, both children hadn't woken up. He removed his shoes and socks and went to lie in front of his mate. He pulled her in his arms and held her close.

"It's my fault…" she murmured so low that the Vampire almost missed it.

"Athena…"

"It is, if I had died, Shinichi wouldn't have wanted revenge against us and Deena would still be alive…"

"And you think that her life is worth more than yours?"

"I…"

"Athena, I can't understand how much this must hurt, but if I had to choose between the two of you, it would always be you. I am so sad for Alaric, losing the one you love… the thought of almost loosing you back there is unbearable, but to actually lose you… I couldn't live with that Athena. This wasn't your fault; it was collateral damages. It could have been anyone… I cannot deny that I wouldn't have minded if it had been someone else, but who am I to choose who dies and who lives? This was not your fault…"

Her body started to shake and he held her closer has she sobbed once more. To think that they would have to face their enemies on Sunday was a terrifying thought…

…

Lucy walked down the stairs slowly. Her cousin and Jeremy had replaced her by Alaric's side. Her heart was beating so fast, she felt like she was about to hyperventilate. When she finally made it to the dining room she gasped softly when she saw what Damon had done, it was simply beautiful.

"Hi Deena…" she whispered as she sat beside her deceased friend. She took a deep breath and sighed. "In the end, we grew too cocky I guess. It was such a simple mistake to let Alaric go outside the house for just a few minutes. It was all it took."

She passed a hand through her long straight hair.

"It's hard to look at you like that; so lifeless for someone who used to be so full of life. I can still remember the first time we met, when I tried to attack you and failed quite miserably to incapacitate you." She smiled. "I wish I could have done more, but I've learned by now that sometimes your hardest is not enough and that whatever you do; fate has its own plans. I still cannot believe it though…"

She stood up and walked slowly back and forth in the dining room, before settling down again.

"What will happen to Athena? Of course she has Damon and Rain, but you and Cleatus were her family too. She will be so lost without you in her life. She's the last one left of the trio. The guilt she must be feeling, I wouldn't want to be in her shoes…" her fist hit the top of the table. "Dammit, Deena! Why did you have to die when we are so close to the end? And of all the things you did, you gave your blood to Alaric… he will be a Vampire in transition upon waking up… Immortality without you; I'm not even sure if he will be able to handle it. He lost Isobel, Jenna, and now you. I'm so scared for him, especially for his sanity."

She slowly pulled down the sheet covering the Vampire and had to refrain herself from throwing up upon seeing the mess that used to be her shoulder blades and neck. Damon had done an amazing job, but she knew she could do a little something more. She closed her eyes and concentrated hard on the Vampire's body, picturing it unbroken and repaired. She started to feel her magic flowing around the both of them and knew that it was working. When she finally opened her eyes and saw the result Deena was still dead, but at least she was whole again but for the huge scar marring her skin. She placed back the sheet right under Dee's shoulders and made sure to replace everything to where Damon had put it in the first place. At least like that, even though her skin was still gray and looked like papyrus, Deena was beautiful.

She sat back and finally let the tears fall down her cheeks. A small sob escaped her mouth, but she was able to hold it together. She wished so hard for Cleatus to be by her side. Even though he would have been in pain and devastated, at least they would have grieved together. She didn't know who to lie on anymore…

She stayed beside Deena until she heard Stefan and Elena coming her way. She wiped her tears and stood up before they entered the dining room. They silently nodded at each other as the couple sit down and she left, going upstairs.

…

_Alaric smiled as he saw the huge pile of paper that Emrick and Slater had faxed him earlier that day. Everything was back to normal. Well as normal as it could be. But having Damon back on their side and having defeated the Demon girl was a very good step toward their victory. Everything was coming together. He looked at his hand seeing the ring missing. Alaric knew deep down inside that Deena would be the one for him and he didn't want to wait any longer so they had decided, after getting into the safe house, for him to start exchanging blood with her. This way, if anything were to happen, he would become a Vampire._

_Emrick had told him that they had finally been able to identify what they were up against. And based on what he had read on the first sheet, it wasn't anything good. They would have to strategize before going into battle. Problem was, they wouldn't have that much time as they would probably have to fight to save the citizens of Mystic Fall on the too fast approaching Sunday. The more he thought about it, the more he realized that maybe becoming a Vampire before the fight would be a great idea. It would make him faster and stronger._

_When he had gathered everything, he closed the door behind him and walked toward the house._

_He was about fifteen feet from the front porch when he felt an intense burning in his hands._

"_No… ALARIC!" he heard Deena yelling from inside the safe house as the papers in his hands were lighted up in flame._

_A second later the Vampire was in front of him._

"_I love you too Alaric…" she said smiling so beautifully at him, she looked like an angel. Then she threw him toward the house._

_The last thing he saw was the window before crashing into it and he blacked out._

…

"DEENA!" screamed Alaric as he abruptly sat up. He was thirsty, so thirsty. "I-I'm in transition." He had died.

"Yes you are. Here, drink this!" said a male voice beside him.

He turned his head to it and saw Damon siting by his bed holding a blood bag. He was back in his bedroom. He looked at the Vampire and just by seeing the sadness in his eyes; he knew. He knew that what he had dreamt of hadn't been just a dream.

He started to sob uncontrollably. He didn't realized what was happening until Damon had put his arms around him after sitting beside him.

"She's gone, Damon…" cried the newborn.

"I know Ric, I know. I'm so sorry, so, so, sorry." replied Damon.

"I never told her… How much I… I couldn't… and now it's too late…"

"Ssh…" murmured Damon gently.

A year ago, Damon would have been uncomfortable with this situation, but with time, he had learned to open his heart again. Stefan had told him that he could sometimes see the 'old' Damon, the human one, in his brother's actions. Now, as he looked down at the broken man that had become his best friend over time; he could share his pain and try his best to comfort him.

He felt a pang of guilt; he had been partially responsible for the loss of one of Alaric's women. At that time, he hadn't care much for Ric' feelings, actually he hadn't care for anyone's feelings at all. But this was worse and he knew it. Deep down inside, he knew that Alaric wouldn't be able to overcome Deena's death. Letting the newborn come with them on Sunday would be like giving him away on a silver platter.

He heard the door knot turn. He looked up and saw Athena entering he room. She sat on Alaric's other side and embraced him.

"We are here for you Alaric. I know it's not much, but we are here…" said Athena against his ear and the man cried harder.

'_You should get some rest.'_ she mouthed to Damon.

'_I'm okay… Thank you.'_ he mouthed back.

…

Caroline sat in silence beside Deena's body, her chin lying on her folded arms. She extended a hand towards the petite Vampire's head and gently played with one of her, now dull, strawberry blond locks. She smiled as big heavy tears rolled down on her cheeks.

"Hey, girlfriend…" she murmured voice trembling. "You look very beautiful like that. Damon and Lucy did an amazing job. I'm sure you're happy with the result…"

She tried to wipe her tears and sniffed, barely managing to keep it together, but the tears kept flowing.

"You know what I regret the most? Not having met you earlier in my life… Things would have been so much easier, especially with the _'Becoming and learning to be a Vampire 101'_ thing…" her body started to shake, so she stood up and walked a few times around the kitchen and dining room before sitting back. "But you were there and understood me when I needed it the most. I don't know what I would have done after the Brody fiasco if you hadn't been there for me. I felt like a broken seashell and you were able to put me back in one piece… Deena… Just… smile for me… I-I miss you…"

And it happened, just like that; she couldn't hold it any longer and she cried. The pain she hadn't been able to express upon seeing her broken body at Shinichi's paws. Knowing that Athena, who had known her for so long, who had even saved her, would have to go through the death of another close friends who was pretty much her family or Alaric who had finally been able to heal and open his heart again with Deena; both of them had to suffer through this grief. Just the thought of it, hurt her even more.

And she cried, for everyone that had died and for the upcoming battle as she was terrified of fighting against a Demon. And she cried until she couldn't take it anymore; and ran back to her bedroom, into the waiting arms of Tyler.

…

The Shape-shifter was making her way down with her newborn Vampire friend. After maybe an hour or more, Alaric had asked to see Deena's body and this is where they were heading. They silently passed the kitchen until they reached the dining room.

Alaric took a deep breath and came closer, seeing for the first time what was left of his girlfriend. When he saw her; even though her skin was gray, she looked so beautiful that he broke down. He went to her and laid his head against her breast and cried; huge sobs shaking his whole body. His arms went delicately around her petite frame as he started to wail.

"I love you… so much… please… don't leave me… alone… please Diane… come back to me… p-please… I need you…" begged Alaric.

At the mention of her friend's real name, Athena had to use everything in her not to sob with the broken man in front of her. Deena had never revealed her real name to a lover before. Yes she had told Caroline, but that was different. It shattered her heart even more to know that her friend had loved the professor to the point of telling him about her human family.

She finally found the strength in her to get closer to him and tenderly passed her hand through his hair. Ric turned to her and pulled the Shape-shifter close to him as he cried against her stomach. Athena did the only thing she could do, she held his head and caressed the upper part of his backt, drawing small circle.

…

After making sure that his mate would be able to handle his best friend; Damon went into the basement to join the rest of the gang. He sat at the table of the house second dining room with them. Everyone had a sombre expression on his or her face.

The eldest Bennett Witch sighed. "I know this is the worst timing, but we all know that it is also the only moment we will have before tomorrow. This is hard for everyone, especially Alaric, but we cannot forget that tomorrow is the Heritage Day and that we are the only line of defense Mystic Fall has since Jonathan Gilbert is in league with that Demon Shinichi. Sadly, he destroyed everything that Emrick and Slater had found and we can't contact them. It would take Athena too much time to go to their safe house and come back here; especially with Shinichi on the run; it's too dangerous for her to go outside alone…"

"That's another thing, Athena is the strongest, but if the piece of crap gets his hands on her, we are done. She has never assimilated something like that before, which means that she is vulnerable against Shinichi," continued Damon.

"So what can we do?" asked Jeremy.

"First thing is; we can't bargain with Shinichi." started Bonnie. "If we had known before, maybe we could have done something for his sister, but Athena destroyed everything… And I don't think that Klaus would be helpful…"

"Opening _Centaurus_ is NOT an option Bonnie!" replied Lucy sternly. "The cage was made to be closed, not the other way around."

"But maybe Cleatus…" said the younger Witch hopefully.

"No." cut Lucy again. "Summoning someone like Cleatus? Are you crazy?" she looked around the table; except for Damon, everyone seemed perplexed at her reaction; it seemed like a good idea to them to bring back the Druid. "Guys, to summon someone from anywhere, you have to be as strong as that person; none of you can even begin to imagine the extent of Cleatus powers. Not even Zeus could call him back here; it would kill Athena…"

"There is no way in hell my mate will do that! You can forget about that; did I make myself clear?" snapped Damon at the gang. "We have lost enough people, this is the most ridiculous thing we could ever do. I am not just saying that because it's Athena, but because we all know that we cannot reopen that cage. What if Klaus escaped? Can you imagine the impact?"

"Sorry…" said Bonnie.

"It's okay. We are all trying to find a solution," said Lucy trying to comfort her cousin. "This is a difficult situation…"

…

About two hours later, Athena came downstairs and joined into the heated conversation that would sometimes almost turn into an argument. They kept on talking until Damon called it a night; everyone needed to be at their best to fight.

_~ April 29th 2012 – 7:00am ~_

"Why do we have to stay behind?" complained Elena.

"Because you won't be helping anyone by your presence." stated Alaric flatly. "Actually, you would be more of a nuisance than anything else."

"This is not up for discussion!" snapped Athena hitting the table with both her hands. "Elena, Jeremy and Alaric will stay here with the children while the rest of us will go back to Mystic Fall."

Elena wanted to argue, but then she gazed at Damon and felt shivers crawling up her spine, and not good ones. The Vampire looked back at her and arched an eyebrow before turning back to his mate. Going with them would just distract them and she didn't want to end up dead a second time.

"So, what's the plan?" asked Tyler.

"We run to Mystic Fall, with the Witches on our back. We mingle with the citizens and try to get to John before all hell breaks loose and ask him what the fuck he thinks he's doing!" answered Damon.

"And whatever happens, we stick together!" said Lucy.

"We better hurry then, the Heritage day event starts at 9!" exclaimed Caroline.

Everyone prepared and 15 minutes later, they were ready to leave. Damon, Athena and Lucy had kissed goodbye their respective child before joining the rest of the gang.

The Shape-shifter went to Alaric. "Please, don't do anything foolish… Promise me…"

"I won't do anything that could put any of you, especially the kids, in danger. I promise you Athena," replied Alaric before pulling her in her arms. "Please, be careful… Damon can't lose you… neither can Rain…"

"Okay…" she replied eyes watering.

She shifted into Sapphire and Lucy upped onto her back. Everyone said their goodbyes and Damon took Bonnie onto his back and they all ran off toward Mystic Fall.

"What do we do?" asked Elena as she turned to her brother and Alaric.

"We wait… We can't do much more anyway!" replied Jeremy worried about Bonnie and his friends.

"I'll be in my room," said Ric in a low voice. "Please don't disturb me unless it's an emergency." He looked at the Gilbert sibling silently.

There was an awkward silence until they realised that the man was waiting for a confirmation.

"O-Of course!" babbled Jeremy as Elena simply nodded. "Get some rest, we understand perfectly."

"Thank you." finished Alaric as he went upstairs.

They heard a door closing and locking. They looked at each other and sighed.

…

The whole gang were slowly making their way through the crowd. The Salvatore brothers had forgotten how popular this event was; the whole city had to be there, it was impressive. They finally came to a stop about 20 feet from the stage were Jonathan Gilbert was giving a speech.

"… So please give him a warm welcome!" finished the man before everyone started to applause as a younger Asian man came to the stage.

"Something's wrong…" murmured Sapphire. "Stay close. I don't like this."

"What?" asked Damon as they closed their rank. "Wait… his face…"

"I-I can't hear anyone's thought… No, it can't be…" replied Sapphire panicking.

"…and our guests of honour have arrived. My friends, let's give them a warm welcome, shall we?" finished the Asian man sneering.

"LOOK OUT!" screamed Sapphire as she turned into Zeus.

Someone was about to grab Bonnie by the arm when the Druid put a shield around them all, which pushed back the assailant. They looked around and it dawned on them, this was a trap; the whole time, it had been a trap.

"_Thank you for joining us."_ said a voice coming from the stage, but it sounded different, more powerful.

When they turned to it, they saw the fox Demon that had killed Deena standing where the young Asian man had been.

"Shinichi…" gasped Tyler. "You are Misao's twin brother…"

"_I want my sister back!"_ raged the Demon.

"I destroyed everything." spat Zeus. "Don't pretend that you don't know it, you killed my friend in retaliation…"

"_Well that's too bad then! I guess you will all have to die today. That's how I like a celebration!"_ finished Shinichi before the citizens started to push against Zeus barrier.

"What do we do?" asked Tyler ready to fight.

"You know there aren't many choices on how to proceed!" snapped Damon.

"You are not suggesting what I think you are? We can't kill everyone!" replied Bonnie shocked by the Vampire's reply.

"Do you have a better idea Witch?" said Damon. "Cause I'm all ear!"

"Lucy! Bonnie! I need your help!" said Zeus. "I need you to see if you can break through them. We have to try…"

Zeus felt a comforting hand on his shoulder and looked to the side to see who it belonged to, Damon.

"Thank you, Damon." said the Druid, smiling.

"You should really think hard about changing that form of yours… a man is REALLY not appealing!" replied Damon cocking his head to the side.

Zeus laughed, but shook his head at the Vampire, reminding him that this wasn't the time for joke.

"It's not working…" said Lucy desperately. "Only you could do something."

"I can't hold this shield up and try to get through them… I'm not that strong!" replied Zeus. "He's always been the one to do this…"

"_Well, I guess that your time is running out…"_ said the Demon as he saw a small bead of perspiration running down the Shape-shifter face.

Suddenly, the Druid stumbled backward and would have fallen if not for Damon's help.

"Are you okay?" asked the Vampire.

"I…" started Zeus before a huge blast came over the town.

Only their group, Jonathan Gilbert, and the Demon were left standing, everybody else was lying on the ground.

"Are they dead?" asked Caroline.

"No." answered Zeus. He gazed around before his eyes locked onto something and he gasped.

As they looked beyond the fallen citizens of Mystic Fall, the whole gang was shocked to see Jeremy and Elena holding in their arms Rain and Deana, but above everything else, it was seeing Cleatus standing all mighty in front of the two young humans that made them speechless…

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN:** And yes, another "WTF?" moment! XD Loved the chapter? Hated it? Where is Alaric? Why is Cleatus there? Review if you feel like it! xoxo ~Meye_


	20. 18 The Voice

_**Disclaimer:** This story is based on characters and situations from The Vampire Diaries series created by L. J. Smith and developed by Kevin Williamson/CW Network. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringements are intended. OCs are all mine, please ask before using them anywhere._

_**Beta reader:** Un-beta'd (for now)_

_**A/N:** Wow, I just can't believe how close we are getting to the end… So thank you to Haruka83 and BrielleHalliwell1018. Enjoy this chapter guys!_

* * *

><p><strong><span>The Voice<span>**

_As they looked beyond the fallen citizens of Mystic Fall, the whole gang was shocked to see Jeremy and Elena holding in their arms Rain and Deana respectively. But above everything else, it was seeing Cleatus standing all mighty in front of the two young mortals that made them speechless…_

"Cleatus…" whispered Zeus. "But how…"

Their attention was brought back to their enemies when Shinichi snarled loudly and grimly. Cleatus didn't wait any longer and put a protective barrier around Jeremy and Elena as they walked toward the rest of the gang.

Lucy wanted nothing more than to jump in his arms; but she knew it wasn't time for their reunion, not now anyway.

"Where is Alaric?" asked Damon concerned.

"Gone." replied Cleatus looking up. "He couldn't bear losing Deena, so he prayed the Sky to take him instead of me as a guardian for Klaus. It didn't want to, at first, but Alaric brought back the event of _Centaurus_, telling the Sky that it had shown him a life of happiness with Deena and that now, it was pointless since she was dead. So his request was granted and we switched places. I had already seen everything, so I knew what was happening. I appeared where Alaric had been. I took the children with me and left with Jeremy and Elena." The Druid gazed at Damon. "I am sorry Damon. I'm truly, very sorry; I know he was a close and good friend of yours…"

"And I'm sorry for your loss too. Don't worry, I-I'll be okay. I understand why he did it," finished the Vampire before turning to the Demon and Jonathan Gilbert. "Is he really possessed?"

"Yes and no." answered the Druid. "But we don't have time for this; my spell won't hold the citizens for much longer, unless we kill the Kitsune."

"The what?" exclaimed Tyler, turning his gaze from the Demon to the Druid.

"A Kitsune is what this Demon is, a Japanese Fox Demon. It is very powerful, but that power can be taken down just as fast when you know how. Usually they aren't that mean and cruel, they are tricksters more than anything else, but those two wanted Klaus…"

"_SHUT UP!_" yelled Shinichi. "_Who are you, and what have you done with my slaves?_"

"You are very rude, but well… My name is Cleatus and I was the one who sealed off Klaus. And before you start talking again, let me explain this to you; the spell was done to prevent people from releasing Klaus out of his cage. I am sorry for your loss, but you've gone too far and you've killed good peoples and sacrificed others. But let it be my pleasure to tell you that if you had simply asked for your sister's powers to be returned, the Sky would have done it happily… but now, you can forget about that! The Sky destroyed what was left of your sister in Klaus and I'm here to do the same for you."

"_You cannot kill me that easily!_" raged on Shinichi.

"You think?" asked back Cleatus with a sneer. "Everyone, but Zeus, Lucy and Bonnie, stay behind me! Now Demon, let's see what you've got without your servants!"

They could all feel something coming their way, but it hit a barrier that none of them had seen. The Druid laughed at the demon's failed attempt to hurt them.

"Cleatus, if my son grows up, I will never forgive you!" said Zeus calmly.

"Don't worry; there is so many protective charms on him right now that not even a nuclear bomb could affect him. He won't change, I promise." replied the Druid. "Now, follow my lead."

Cleatus started to chant in old Gaelic and soon Zeus was chanting with him and then the two witches were following his lead as they repeated a spell over and over again.

At first, it looked like it wasn't doing anything and Shinichi was on the verge of laughing at them, when, suddenly, he felt a strong pinching sensation around his tails. He checked behind and saw beams of light encircling each one of his tails. It looked quite inoffensive, but the pinching increased to a point that it was painful.

"_What are you doing?_" asked the Kitsune, panicking.

"What do you think? Your tails are your powers, the more, the stronger…" replied Cleatus, pausing his chanting, a smirk on his lips, before picking up the chant with the others.

Shinichi tried to concentrate his energy on the spell, trying to break it, but it was too strong. Who was that man, Cleatus? He felt so old and yet so young to the Demon.

"_N-No!_" gasped in pain Shinichi when one of his tails was ripped apart.

"Time's up!" yelled Damon, sneering at the beast.

As if it was the right thing to say; the spell took full effect and one by one the Kitsune's tails were torn apart; making Shinichi wail in agony. The Demon fell at John's feet and shook a few seconds before it stopped, and then it seemed to have problems breathing. A moment ago, it had looked like it was glowing; now it was like its colors had faded with his power.

"Get back Jonathan Gilbert or you shall die with him." warned Cleatus.

John was no stupid man and stepped down the stage leaving the suffering Demon alone. He was terrified. He had never heard or seen someone as powerful as the Warlock in front of him. If he had known all along, he would never have joined Shinichi and Misao. And who was he talking about when he said _'The Sky'_? He had missed a lot over the last days; Shinichi had apparently retaliated by killing the petite Vampire and now the History teacher was gone too… He looked at the man again and it hit him; he was the father of the Bennett child; she had the same hair as him.

They had all been fooled… Now he was just hoping to see it through the next day.

Cleatus was about to strike the beast with a new spell when everything went eerily silent around them. They couldn't even hear themselves breathing. They all gasped when Alaric appeared beside Shinichi.

"Ric!" yelled Damon at his friend.

"An eye for an eye…" said Alaric voice filled with venom at Shinichi as he picked its head between his hands and beheaded the Demon with his bare hands. He let the head fall to the ground and smiled at his friends. "Love you guys! Take good care of her Damon…" and he disappeared fading away.

"Alariiiic!" screamed Damon tears in his eyes as Zeus put a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"He's gone for good now." said Cleatus. "It was probably a gift from the Sky to be able to kill Deena's murderer." He turned to John. "Sleep." and the man felt to the ground.

"Cleatus…" murmured Lucy with a shaky voice, before she ran to the Druid who entwined her in his arms. "You are back…"

"Yes _moja miłość_, I'm finally back." he replied and kissed her.

Elena brought Deana to her parents and Cleatus pulled her into his arms. Jeremy did the same with Rain who went excitedly into his father's arms.

The Druid and the Shape-shifter, who had changed back into herself, gazed at each other and she nodded at him and they just smiled before a small chuckle escaped their mouth.

"So…" said Tyler as he held hands with Caroline.

"All of this was meant to be." started Cleatus. "The Sky had foreseen it since _Centaurus_. It knew that some of us would be lost and that is why it named Deana for you Lucy; in honour of Deena."

"Would she have survived if I hadn't saved myself?" asked Athena. "She was killed in retaliation because of what Damon and I did."

"Her fate was sealed before that Athena, I promise. If you hadn't intervened; more would have died. Don't feel guilty, she died the way she always wanted to, by protecting the ones she loved." answered the Druid.

"Err… guys? What do we do about everyone?" asked Stefan looking around. "We can't let them like this… Will they remember anything?"

"We shall have the answer soon enough…" replied Cleatus, knowingly.

"What do you mean?" said Bonnie a confused scowl on her face.

"This is it, this is the day the Sky fulfills its part of the deal we made together during _Centaurus_. We did our part of the bargain…" he answered smiling.

"Something's coming…" whispered Athena as she felt a shift in the air. "It's… the Sky!"

The whole gang felt a warm presence moving around, bringing them closer in a circle and then, in a flash of light, they were all gone, leaving behind a silent town.

…

They all opened their eyes and were surprised when they saw where they were; the Sky had brought them to the ruins of its old Coven.

"What deal are you talking about?" asked Athena confused.

"When the Sky first came to me a long, long time ago; we made a deal, in exchange of my help to find the right spell to imprison Klaus, it would give me eternal youth and ways to protect myself from pretty much anything. When it was time to close _Centaurus_, I conceded to the Sky that my life had always been forfeited, but when I saw my daughter and what was to come in the visions, I couldn't accept to leave you without anything… So I asked for something in exchange of my sacrifice; first, that anyone who came in contact with us would have their memories altered, but that part you already knew. The second part of the deal would come as gifts for those who would pass these trials, and we did."

"What did you ask for?" questioned Stefan.

"True immortality without the weakness for all of us…"

"You're kidding?" replied Damon. "It can't have said yes to that."

"Why not?" exclaimed Caroline. "We lost so much over the last months. All the sacrifices we had to make… A deal is a deal!" she finished, a hint of frustration in her voice.

They were all still trying to get the concept of losing Deena and now Alaric. She had died not even 72 hours ago. And seeing Ric saying goodbye like that hadn't helped either.

"_My children…_" said the asexual voice. "_I understand your pain, but death was unavoidable during these trials. Thank you once again. I know I cannot replace what was lost, but these are my gifts to you all._"

There was a deep humming around them and they felt the same healing energy that had passed through them two years ago during the events of _Centaurus_. Peace and warmth filled their hearts.

"_Tyler Lockwood, please come forward._" asked the Sky and the Werewolf did as he was told. "_A long time ago, my moonchild could walk under my watch without constrain and at any time of the day, now, I am blessing you with this too. I will also remove your weakness against wolfbane and any metal that could hurt you. You will heal faster and will stop aging from now on. It is time for you to lose that cursed rage… You have done well Tyler Lockwood, but be careful not to jump without thinking next time you have to save your mate…_"

"Thank you, so much." said Tyler, and hint of a blush on his cheek, before changing into a wolf and back into a human form in a matter of seconds. "This is… a-ma-zing!"

"_Lucy and Bonnie Bennett, come closer._" said the commanding, yet gentle voice. "_You have shown courage in the face of danger and faithfulness as servant of the nature. For that, Cleatus shall be authorized to show you how to protect yourself and keep your eternal youth. As for you Bonnie Bennett, you will have to learn, with the help of your cousin and Cleatus, how to unlock your true powers that you have unconsciously blocked out since the death of your grandmother, Sheila. You need to accept your gift fully now, without any restriction. Lucy Bennett, I bless you with happiness for the hard times you had to face without Cleatus, your children will be strong and full of goodness. Take care Bennett Witches and learn to accept help instead of always sacrificing yourself for those you love._"

"Thank you." said the cousins together as they tried to hold back their tears.

"_Athena, my faithful child, the one who waited; you have seen so much and went through so many things and yet you were able to stay in the light and keep your darkness at bay. You have refused so many times to assimilate a new form in fright of changing your own nature and for that, I am very grateful. But sadly, this has become a weakness for you and I shall remedy to that. I'm giving you this, the element of fire and earth, so that, no longer, demons can affect you, but you will have to learn by yourself how to master them as you did with water and air. I am highly confident that you will succeed. Also, work on your Druid form; you've learned the hard way not to take for granted your allies. I know that you are still grieving the death of your sister Deena; but it was her time to come home to her family. She's at peace now…_"

A small sobs escaped the Shape-shifter's mouth. "Thank you… f-for everything."

"_It is my pleasure child… Damon Salvatore, Stefan Salvatore and Caroline Forbes, come to me._"

Damon left his son in his mate's arms and stepped beside his younger brother.

"_My immortal children; please remove your lapis lazuli ring and reclaim your birth right._"

Damon was the first one to do it and gave the brightness smile when nothing happened. He heard his mate gasping happily. His brother and Caroline soon followed his lead and stepped into the sun with him.

"_You will no longer burn under my sky, no matter what. Now Werewolf's bite, wood and vervain won't affect you anymore. Caroline Forbes, you have been loyal to your friends and deserve that same loyalty; I shall intervene with your mother and implant in her heart a seed of compassion and acceptance. It is now up to you, to show your mother that my children were born good and only became evil when they turned their back on me._"

They all felt a warm breeze.

"Thank you so much for my mom…" replied Caroline as she cried happily.

"_Stefan Salvatore, you have done the most terrible things in your early years, but you've paid enough for your past sins, it is time to move on now. For that, you shall no longer crave blood as you once did, you will be in control of the hunger and not the other way around. All is forgiven, be happy…_"

"I," murmured Stefan, unable to speak more.

"_It's my pleasure._" replied the Sky, amusement lacing in its voice. "_Damon Salvatore, the child who was drowning in darkness; you have come so far. You have done many things for me and I cannot offer more to you than health and prosperity for you and your family._"

"It is all I could have asked for; thank you." said Damon as he smiled at Athena and his son.

"_Jeremy Gilbert._" called the Sky. "_Your unconditional loyalty and help to your friends have impressed me. You have braved darkness even though you were mortal. You are a hero child, remember that. I am facing you with a choice and you must decide before leaving this place. I can only give you one gift between those two; being a Werewolf or a Vampire. It is up to you. Beware that your choice will not be reversible and that the only way out of this would be for you to remain mortal._"

"I-I… wow!" said the young man before turning to Bonnie; she smiled at him and nodded. "I've made my choice, I'll be a werewolf."

"_Are you sure child?_"

"Yes. I don't want Tyler to be alone and even though Bonnie no longer has problem with Vampire, I don't want her to be with one. But most of all, I want us to have the choice of having children or not."

"_Well-chosen child… Make sure that the first time you change will be with Loup. Changing can be quite exhilarating and I wouldn't want for you to do something regretful…"_ It paused. _"Elena Gilbert, come forward please. I know of your deepest desires and I understand that I cannot simply offer you what I did for your brother. Stefan Salvatore, please stand beside your lover._"

"It's okay… I want to be with Stefan…" replied Elena.

"_And you shall be child. Stefan Salvatore, Elena Gilbert, both of you have the deepest desire to found a family, but you are at an impasse. I can, sadly, only give or take back the powers of a Werewolf or a Vampire. So this is my gift to you, I will give you five years of mortality, to both of you. During that time, you will be protected by your friends and family and special rings that Cleatus will make for you. I also want you to carefully use that time to decide what you want. When the five years are up, you, Stefan Salvatore, will become a Vampire again and Elena Gilbert, it will be up to you to choose between the life of a Vampire or a Werewolf. If you were to have children during those five years, they will be transformed when they reach the age of your choice._"

Stefan gasped when he felt his heart starting to beat again inside his ribcage. "Thank you so much… This is more than I could ever ask…"

"_Now, all of you beware of those gifts. They can easily be taken away if you were to abuse them. Know that your fellow Werewolf and Vampire compatriots will still have the curse placed upon them. Your ancestors once abused these privileges and I will not let that happen a second time. You will all find yourselves becoming stronger with the years, but you won't be able to pass down your powers to mortal._"

"What about the people of Mystic Fall?" asked Cleatus.

"_I have taken the liberty of erasing certain events, but I will let you deal with Jonathan Gilbert who will remember everything, including killing his ex-wife. He has learned his lesson once and for all, but he will need a reminder that if he ever messes with you, I will not be clement. Now, when you will return to Mystic Fall, the people will be celebrating as they would have if it hadn't been for the Demon twins. As for John Gilbert, wait until he comes to you Cleatus._"

"It will be my pleasure!" replied Cleatus smirking. "But I was wondering; what will we do about Alaric and Deena's death?"

"_I will put in the citizens memories that you've all missed the celebration because you were attending the funerals of Alaric and Deena who died in a car crash. The founder Council will know they died while saving their friends as John Gilbert will too._"

"Thank you." said Cleatus.

"_Now it's time for you all to go back home. Farewell my children…_"

And they were transported back to their safe house.

…

Everyone had gone into their rooms, but for Cleatus and Athena who had stayed behind in the living room. Both Damon and Lucy had understood the need for the Druid and the Shape-shifter to talk.

Once everyone was gone, they had gone into the dining room to stand beside Deena's body. Cleatus had pulled Athena into his arms and she had broken down into huge sobs. She held onto him as if he would disappear if she would, but for one moment, let him go. It took him a while, but he broke down with her and they held onto each other as they cried their dead sister and the man who had loved so many and yet lost every single one of them.

When they finally both calmed down; they laughed; tears still marring their cheeks.

"I was so scared for you." said Cleatus, breaking the silence.

"I was terrified that the plan would failed." replied Athena.

"But it didn't and that is what matters. I can't wait to officially meet your son. Beautiful name you chose for him."

"You're only saying that because his middle name is Cleatus." she replied laughing lightly.

"Well there is that, but also his name is so much more and both the Sky and I thank you for the honour."

"Cleatus, you know I should be the one thanking you both for my son. So don't try to turn the situation around!"

The Druid smiled. "If you say so…" He looked up. "We should go back to our patient other halves. We will have so many other times to talk, but for now, I think we all need a little moment before all coming back together…"

She nodded. They both kissed Deena's forehead and they went upstairs to their bedrooms.

When Athena opened the door, only the moonlight was showing her a safe path to the bed. Damon seemed to be sleeping under the white linen sheets; baby monitor in his hand resting on top of his chest. She undressed and picked up the monitor before putting it on the bedside table. She lifted the covers and slipped underneath them and got closer to Damon.

Out of nowhere, she was brought down to the Vampire before his hands came resting on her body, one on her shoulder and the other one at the nape of her neck.

"Sorry I woke you up…" she whispered.

"It's okay, I was waiting for you…" he murmured back.

"If you call _'waiting'_ falling asleep with a baby monitor in your hand…" she replied teasingly.

"Hey, I'm exhausted!"

"I know… Love you…" she said has she nuzzled his chest.

"Come here!" he ordered in a raspy voice as he pulled her head toward his before kissing her deeply.

Damon drew back and bit down hard into his wrist before bringing it to his mate mouth. Athena drank slowly and moaned when she felt her Vampire's canine piercing the soft skin of her neck before he drew blood.

She stopped drinking as soon as Damon did. They gazed at each other, desire dancing in their eyes and they kissed again; love and lust swirling inside their bellies.

…

When Cleatus entered his and Lucy's room, he saw the Witch and their daughter asleep on their bed. A candle was still lighted up. He caressed his little Deana's hair and picked her up in his arms. The baby girl opened her eyes and smiled at her father before going back to the land of dreams. He put her to bed and went back to Lucy sleeping form. He gave her a light kiss and went to take a shower.

The feeling of being alone in the bed woke up the witch and she stood up, before taking a bathrobe and exited the room. She went to the bathroom and entered silently. She removed the garment and stepped into the shower with her lover. They kissed until the water started to lose its warmth and turned cold. They got out and dried themselves off before walking back to bed.

"I still can't believe that you are here with me…" she murmured.

"I would have thought that our little making out session in the shower would have helped you with that? Maybe you need more convincing?" he suggested as he kissed her again.

"Maybe I do… Cleatus…" she begged.

"Yes?" he said has he held her hands above her head in one hand.

She looked at him and when their gaze met; his eyes flashed silver for a second before she felt his power flowing through her, mixing with hers. Her body arched as huge waves of pleasure kept pulsing inside her. She had forgotten how erotic and orgasmic it had been when he was connecting their magic together.

"Oh god…" she moaned, closing her eyes.

"No. Don't. Keep them open for me!" he said as her head lolled to the side, but he brought it back with his free hand and made her focus on him. "Keep looking at me; just like the first time, ride with me…"

She started to undulate her body; caressing her wet core against his leaking erection. Cleatus grounded hard into her without entering her and they rode like this to their orgasm, both coming from that simple touch and all their magic mixing…

They soon felt asleep, exhausted by their _love making_.

_~ Two weeks later – May 14th 2012~_

Coming back to Mystic Fall had been hard for the whole gang as they had to live the death of Deena and Alaric all over again with everyone giving them their condolences. Even though the Sky had told them that it had been Deena's time, some people in the gang still had doubts and still thought that maybe, just maybe they could have done something different to save her and Alaric.

Cleatus had had no another choice than to make peace with fate and accept that he hadn't stolen his Vampire friend's life by coming back. Though, as the days had gone by, he could understand more and more what Athena had gone through when she had thought that he had sacrificed himself for the _Centaurus_ spell; the guilt was hard to get over. The guilt of smiling when he was seeing Lucy sleeping beside him in the morning or when he was hearing the soft cooing of Deana when she was waking up. He truly felt guilty for feeling warmth and happiness around the ones he loved when he had lost someone so precious to him. Sometimes, he would laugh and feel a gaze on him. He would turn and see Athena looking at him with a knowing acknowledgement in her eyes. And other times it would be Damon, Lucy or Caroline giving him the same gaze.

Cleatus had been introduced to the Founder Council the previous week has the man who had saved the day. Jonathan knowing the whole truth and Liz knowing half of it, had known better than to contradict his and Damon's story. He had been welcomed with opened arms especially when he had suggested that every single member should drink a glass of pure vervain and something new to them called wolfbane, upon entering the meeting to ensure that no one was compromised. To be honest he had done this for more than to gather the approval of everyone. He had especially done it to see Jonathan Gilbert's face upon seeing Damon downing the glass without an itch. The Gilbert patriarch had barely been able to keep his shock from showing on his face. When he had turned back to Cleatus, the Druid had simply smirked at him. Cleatus knew it was time for John to come to him, but not that night.

Actually, John had approached him at the end of the meeting, but had only arranged another one alone with Cleatus, away from prying ears and eyes; especially Damon's.

And that was pretty much what Cleatus was doing at 4am alone in the middle of Mystic Fall's cemetery waiting for John.

"Hello Jonathan." he said looking up straight in front of him as he sensed the man coming toward him.

John came out of the dark forest around the ground and walked to the Druid, stopping about ten feet from him. Cleatus could see the fear dancing in the human's eyes and smiled to himself.

"I hope you realise that if I had wanted to kill you, I could have done it back then when you were alongside the Kitsune?" said the Druid when John kept quiet.

"I'm not so sure about that. I'm not here to challenge you or anything. I don't know at what point your powers extend, but I'm no fool… I'm sure though that after everything that has happened you have warnings for me" replied John as calmly as possible; which impressed Cleatus

"Such a smart man!" exclaimed the Druid, before getting serious again. "I am here on behalf of the one Klaus and the Originals betrayed. I want you to understand that you were spared because it was in its beliefs that you would be able to change. So first of all, I come baring a gift for you…" he said getting closer to John, holding out in his hand a ring.

Jonathan took it. "What is that for?"

"This ring is to replace the one you already have on your finger. It is a very powerful ring and is a stronger protection against supernatural, but it will also keep you from getting ill. This ring will only be removable by few; which includes you and the whole gang. But beware that this gift doesn't come free;" he said before glaring menacingly at the Gilbert man. "If you ever do something against any one of the gang you will join everyone else who dare attacking us. Did I make myself clear Jonathan Gilbert?"

"Yes. Should I pack my things?" he asked cautiously.

"Why would you do such a thing? Aren't you about to officially become the new mayor of Mystic Fall? I think you got me wrong Jonathan, this is not me kicking you out of here; this is me giving you a gift and a warning, nothing else. Not all of us will stay behind in Mystic Fall, but for the ones, who will, they will fight alongside with you and the Council to make sure that nothing bad happens to this place. Also, make sure to take extra care of Elena and Stefan."

"Why? I will always protect my daughter with my life, but Stefan?" replied the man confused.

"Yes, I know you will protect you daughter, but since Stefan is human… for now…"

"W-what?" exclaimed John gobsmacked.

"Too long to explain, but to make it short, it was their gift."

"Then I will make sure that nothing happens to them!" he replied with conviction.

"Good. Now, one last thing before we go our separate way, until our next meeting…"

"Yes?"

He had no time to react before the Druid had slammed his palm against his forehead.

…

Jonathan Gilbert had bid his farewell and left a few minutes later, as if the last minutes of his life had never happened.

Cleatus felt a small breeze passing by before Athena appeared beside him.

"So?" asked the Shape-shifter.

"It's done. The knowledge of your true nature is gone from his memory. He will remember Zeus and Sapphire as two different persons and won't remember you as a werewolf either. He won't remember your real face either; only Odelle's. Your secret is safe with us."

"Thank you." She shifted into Sapphire. "Want a ride home?"

"I would appreciate it." he said upping on her back.

She ran back to the Boarding house with the Druid holding on tightly to her shoulders.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN:** Well... only one chapter to go... Epilogue will be the next and last chapter of Sacrifices... Hope you enjoyed this one! Review if you feel like it! xoxo ~Meye_

**Translation**  
><em><strong>moja miłość <strong>__– _my love


	21. Epilogue, Like the sun

_**Disclaimer:** This story is based on characters and situations from The Vampire Diaries series created by L. J. Smith and developed by Kevin Williamson/CW Network. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringements are intended. OCs are all mine, please ask before using them anywhere._

_**Beta reader:** Un-beta'd (for now)_

_**A/N: **__Wow, last chapter… I think I'm in shock… I feel like I'm leaving a piece of my heart behind with this chapter! So you will get EVERYTHING in this chapter (well I think) So big big thank you one last time to Haruka83 and BrielleHalliwell1018. Your reviews have been very kind._

_Enjoy the Epilogue!_

* * *

><p><strong><span>Epilogue: Like the sun<span>**

Half a year had passed since the Sky had given its gifts to the gang. Elena and Stefan were happily living together in an apartment they had rented not too far from their College; same as for Jeremy and Bonnie and also Tyler and Caroline. They had chosen to rent three different apartments, but all in the same building. They had all decided to do at least 2 years in College before deciding what to do with their lives. Anyway, they would have an eternity to finish school.

Two things had been made official since the death of Shinichi; one, Jonathan Gilbert was now the new mayor of Mystic Fall and had moved in for good at the Lockwood Mansion. As much as Tyler had loved his family home, he had too many bad memories to count in that house to call it home anymore. Surprisingly, John had accepted to buy the mansion from Tyler, refusing to receive it as a gift. The second thing was that Damon had been put in charge, by unanimous votes, at the head of the Founder Council. The Vampire had joked with the gang, that after having a Werewolf as leader of the Council for so many years; it was now time for a Vampire to be in charge. The gang had laughed, even Tyler.

It had taken a while, but finally, everyone in the gang had been able to make some decisions about what they would do after the 2 years in college had run up…

Caroline and Tyler were going to go away and travel around the world seeking deserving werewolves' packs to help them as much as they could with their transformation. But they also just wanted to see the world inside out. For the both of them, it was a way to clean up their heads. They had gone through so much and they just wanted to have this moment of freedom to share together. Thought, before leaving, they had promised the rest of the gang not to marry without them being there.

Bonnie, Jeremy, Stefan and Elena were going back to live at the Gilbert's house; revoking all previous invitation. Anyway, now, none of the Vampires in the gang needed invitations to enter a house; it had been an extra gift they had received about a month ago. They were also still going to attend school. They all wanted to enjoy the five years that Stefan had been given to live a normal life.

Cleatus, Lucy, Damon, Athena and their respective child had decided to stay at the Boarding house. As she had said before, Athena wasn't going back to teach French at school, which had sadden a lot of students, but she wanted to be there for Damon and Rain, but also to take care of their future children.

Of course, they knew some rogue Vampires, Werewolves, Witches or Warlocks or maybe even ghosts or spirits would try to bring problems to Mystic Fall; the city was a trouble magnet; but all of those where matters solved in a few days.

Life was finally peaceful for them and neither Cleatus nor Zeus could sense anything bad coming their way; they were free…

_~ Saturday – May 25th 2013 ~_

The days and the nights were getting warmer and they couldn't be any more happier about it. The gang was sitting in the living room talking about everything and nothing as they were waiting for the delivery guy to arrive. Deana and Rain were playing on a baby mat not caring a second for the rest of the world. It was such a simple thing to do and yet so enjoyable for them after Klaus and the Kitsune twins debacles.

Athena came down the stairs wearing a med blue relaxed boyfriend short with an oversized coconut milk V-neck tee and a pair of dark brown flip-flops. She passed by the front door, looked at it and laughed to herself; no more bad luck with doors.

"What are you laughing at?" asked Damon front the living room.

"Nothing important." she replied as she came to stand beside him before caressing his hair.

Damon let his head fall to the side onto her stomach closing his eyes. He could feel Tyler fidgeting not too far from him; he was probably about to complain about the show of affection; that's when he heard it; the soft, but fast beat drumming inside his mate. His eyes snapped open and he looked up at Athena.

"Is that…" he asked whispering hopefully, unable to finish his question.

Athena gave him a breathtaking smile and simply nodded. The Vampire stood up, picked his mate bridal style and ran upstairs to their bedroom.

"I hate when they do that!" complained Caroline and the whole gang laughed. "Cleatus?" she said turning to the Druid.

The bell at the front door rang and Cleatus was happy to have been _saved by the bell_.

…

Up in their bedroom Damon let Athena fall delicately onto their king size bed. He ran to the door and locked it before coming back to lie between his mate's tights. He lifted up her tee until it was resting under her breast and laid his ear on her still flat belly. He heard it again; their second child's heartbeat. He smiled as he felt Athena's fingers cradling through his hair affectionately.

"I wanted to surprise you…" she whispered.

"And you did… how were you able to hide it?" asked Damon just as softly, amazement and happiness in his voice.

"Druid's powers and since I'm not stressed out by anything, the pregnancy will be a normal one." She finished smiling as Damon looked up to her. "And it also means that I will be able to shift as I please."

"How far are you gone?" he asked caressing her belly and making her shiver in delight.

"Well since today is the 25th, ten weeks. I'm sorry I've kept it for so long, but I wanted for you to learn about it by hearing him saying _'Hi!'_ in his own way…"

"Him?" he said hopefully.

"It's too early for the doctor to confirm it, but I don't need anyone to tell me the gender of our child; I can feel him. We are having another baby boy…" she was interrupted when Damon pressed his lips to hers.

"I love you… my Athena." he said between kisses, his voice filled with love and desire for his mate.

"Love you too Damon…" she returned with a passion just as intense as his.

"When did it happened?" he asked, drawing back to let her breathe.

"Do you really need me to answer that question?" she replied smiling playfully at him

Damon looked at her clueless and she laughed.

"Really…?" said the Shape-shifter giggling.

_[FLASHBACK]_

_~ Monday – March 11th 2013 ~_

_Damon and Athena were walking together in the forest. The Vampire had his arm around his mate's hips as they kept advancing glued to each other. They were making their way toward the Centaurus meadow. Damon had asked her to practise with him his resistance to witchcraft. Even though he had a new spell casted on his ring to protect him against Witch or Warlock attack, he still wanted more. He could remember Katherine being able to resist some of Bonnie's tricks and he wanted to be just as strong, if not stronger than his dead maker._

"_Err… Damon?" she said unsure, feeling more than one presence around them._

"_Mmm?" replied the Vampire nonchalantly._

"_We aren't alone." she answered pointing away toward the meadow._

"_I know." simply replied Damon._

_When they finally got close enough for Athena to see the people's face; she realized that the whole gang was there; waiting by their trees. Lucy was standing at Deena's tree while the two toddlers where sleeping peacefully at the bottom of Alaric's tree._

"_Did something happen?" asked Athena worriedly._

"_No." answered Cleatus smiling._

"_Athena?" said Damon gently and she turned to him. He took both of her hands in his. "This is something I wanted to do in front of our family and friends… My Athena, will you bless me with the honour of marrying you?" he asked tenderly in a whisper._

"_Da-Damon… oh god…" murmured the Shape-shifter as tears of joy fell from her eyes. "Y-Yes… yes! Of course I will marry you." she finished before jumping into his arms, pulling her legs around him and he held her tightly against him._

_He nuzzled her neck affectionately, inhaled deeply and kissed her behind the ear. They had forgotten about the rest of the gang until they heard someone sniffling. Damon looked up and Athena turned her head and they saw Caroline crying happily._

"_It's so romantic…" exclaimed the blond Vampire and the other girls just nodded not daring to talk._

_Stefan was the first one to approach the couple as Damon let Athena down on her feet. He put his hand gently on the side of her shoulder and squeezed a little bit to get her attention. She turned to him, eyes twinkling with joy._

"_Congratulations to the both of you! I'm very happy for you and we all wanted to give you something to celebrate so, here" he said giving her a sealed envelope._

_Athena opened the envelope and saw a gift certificate for the Lake Tahoe's Ritz-Carlton for the weekend to come. It looked like they had chosen the most expensive hotel and room there was; a one bedroom Mountain View suite with every single service you could think of._

"_Thank you guys, so much!" replied the Shape-shifter, smiling first at her future brother-in-law, then at her friends._

"_I still don't know why we took a room like that!" exclaimed Jeremy. Everyone looked at him incredulously. "What? It's true… It's not like they are going to enjoy THAT view!"_

_Tyler laughed whole heartily at his friend reply. Most of the gang were embarrassed by what the younger Gilbert man had said; but they knew that he had probably spoken out loud what they all thought. Cleatus and Lucy were trying to hide their amusement while the concerned couple were simply smiling devilishly at each other. Jeremy was 100% right and they knew it…_

_~ Saturday night – March 16th 2013 ~_

_The day had been amazing; well Damon had been amazing. Athena had mentioned upon their arrival the previous afternoon that she would have loved to go outside and Damon had surprised her the next morning with outside activities. She had felt like a kid running around, followed by her father. When they had tried skiing, the Vampire had been graceful, and the Shape-shifter totally graceless. She had never seen Damon laughing so hard. Athena had been humiliated, but still happy to see Damon so carefree._

_And now, she was waiting for Damon to come back to bed as she was lying naked on her back with her hands tied above her head. All the covers had been pulled down and she could feel them at her feet. Damon had blindfolded her._

"_Spread your legs…" came the Vampire's raspy voice out of nowhere._

_The Shape-shifter complied, but it wasn't enough for the man, apparently._

"_Wider…" ordered Damon "I want to see everything… Mm… lift your knees and put your feet on the mattress."_

"_Damon…" moaned Athena; she wanted for her mate to get closer._

"_Fuck! You are so beautiful…" murmured Damon and in a blink of an eye, he was kneeling between her thighs._

_He put his hands on each side of Athena and bent down. The Shape-shifter gave a deep moaned and shivered when she felt ice on her collarbone, then, sliding down her body. It first stopped at her breast, teasing both pointy beads. It wasn't long before cold lips replaced the ice and teeth were gently biting at her nipples. She arched into the touch._

_Soon, more ice were on her, going down to her navel, cold water filling it and then being sucked out by her lover's lips. As his tongue played with her navel, she felt one of his hands moving south and starting to caress her opening._

"_Oh! God…" she groaned in total daze._

_Her whole body arched and her knuckles turned white as she held and pulled at her bindings, when she felt ice entering her core along with Damon's thumb._

"_Damon!" she screamed coming for the first time of the night._

_The vampire left her navel and went down to work on his mate core; licking, sucking and biting; making her come so many times that she couldn't form any coherent thoughts, not even inside her head. As soon as one piece of ice would have melt, she would feel a new one being pushed inside._

"_You're… killing me…" she said barely awake._

"_No passing out on me my love…" murmured Damon before he bit hard into his wrist and brought it up to Athena's mouth so that she could drink._

_While she drank slowly, the Vampire pushed two digits inside her. His bloody wrist swallowed her scream as he used his vampire speed to move his fingers in and out of her. His thumb moved to her clit with the same speed and he made her come inside out multiples times again._

"_Damon… I can't…" she begged._

_He removed his fingers and inserted three pieces of ices instead; giving her another orgasm in the process. When he saw that the ice had turned to water he place his pulsing erection at her entrance and pushed it in with one punishing thrust. Athena's legs went around him as he pounded into her._

"_Damon… fuck… untie me… please…" she begged again._

"_No." he said as he ripped away the blindfold from her eyes and looked straight at her as he kept his brutal pace. "So beautiful and all mine…" he murmured like he was in a trance._

_He shifted his position a little and she saw stars as he kept hitting her g-spot. She half-opened her mouth in a silent scream gazing at the Vampire with so much intensity as Damon kept on giving her orgasms. He couldn't resist anymore; his face changed as his canine came out and he bit her neck drawing blood. Athena came undone._

"_Please Damon… I need… to… touch you…" she demanded barely audible._

_Just as he had done with the blindfold, he ripped apart the restrains without stopping his drinking and as soon as her hands were free they flew to the upper part of his back. Her nails digging deeply as she marked the skin under her fingers._

_The small, yet strong, gesture was enough for Damon to move his mouth to hers and they kissed passionately._

_Suddenly, the Vampire pulled back his head and used his vampire speed once more to pound into his mate._

"_Look at me!" he ordered his eyes black as night, veins pumping around them._

_And Damon finally released his seed inside her and made her come again with him, both barely keeping their eyes opened. He laid his forehead against hers as they both rode their moment of pure bliss._

…

_After ten minutes, he pulled out and they both groaned at the loss of sensation. Damon fell on his back and Athena came to lie over him. Her breathing was slowly going down and wasn't as erratic as it had been a couple of minutes before._

"_Would you like some water?" asked Damon gently._

"_Mm! Mm!" she replied exhausted, but very sated._

_The Vampire placed her carefully on the bed and walked slowly to the bathroom; he had overused his vampire speed in his opinion and didn't need to stress himself with a glass of water._

_Athena looked up to see if her mate was out of view and quickly shifted into Odelle than back to herself. She could feel it, the change inside of her; it had worked, she was pregnant with their second child. But she was going to keep it a secret until the right moment._

_She smiled to herself..._

_[END OF FLASHBACK]_

"You sneaky girl!" said Damon laughing. "That's why I love you so much… Thank you Athena for such a gift!"

"You gave me that gift too Damon!" she replied smiling. "I wouldn't be here if it hadn't been for you… Never forget that everything you did in your life, good or bad is what brought us here and together."

"So… I'm guessing you had times to think of a name for our little man?" he asked doing his sexy eyes thing.

"Well…" she blushed. "Guilty! But it's just a suggestion…"

"Tell me." he pushed, smiling.

"Aelwin Ric Salvatore… Aelwin means _'noble friend'_ and for middle name, well Ric, for…"

"It's perfect." cut in Damon. "Aelwin Ric Salvatore, there couldn't be any better name than that." finished the Vampire before kissing her forehead.

"Do you want to tell the others now?" asked Athena.

"Not really, but you have to eat… Though we should tell the news to Rain first; I'll go and pick him up!" said Damon before running out.

He came back with a laughing toddler in his arms. He closed the door and brought Rain to their bed. Athena extended her arms and Rain went happily into them.

"_Maman_?" asked Rain.

"Can you change into a Vampire for me my little man?" replied Athena smiling.

The boy smiled at his mom and shifted into a very young Damon. So far, Rain hadn't found a Vampire form that he enjoyed so he would simply copy his father when he changed into a Vampire.

"Good boy! Now, come here and listen…" said the Shape-shifter as she pointed her belly.

Rain did as he was told and was startled by the sound he heard. He looked up at his father, then at his mother with a confused look on his face.

"Baby?" he simply asked.

"Yes, little man!" answered Damon. "A baby brother just for you..." he finished, ruffling his son's hair affectionately.

The toddler giggled and put his head back down again, patting his mommy's tummy.

"Hi baby! Daddy?" asked Rain, gazing at his father without moving.

"Yes little man?" encouraged the Vampire.

"Baby have a name?" he questioned.

"Yes he does." replied Damon.

"Like me?" asked the child innocently.

"Well, not really. His full name is Aelwin Ric Salvatore." replied Damon affectionately at his son. He was happy to see that Rain was reacting so positively to the news. On the other hand, he wasn't that surprised as Rain loved babies.

"Ok. Hi Ael! Baby…" he said closing his eyes and he soon fell asleep; rocked by the sound of his brother's heartbeat.

"We could use his nap time to tell everyone else the great news!" suggested Damon as he gently passed his fingers through his son silky hair.

"Ok. I'd like that." approved the Shape-shifter.

_~ December 1st 2013 ~_

It was really a good thing to have a 'normal' pregnancy without the stress of battle so that Athena could shift into Odelle when they were outside of the house. Having a second pregnancy only reaffirmed Damon's humanity in the eyes of everyone in Mystic Fall. Her pregnancy had gone very well and it was hard to decide on which one between Athena, Damon and Rain was the happiest. It was funny how things had changed, for such a long time Elena and Stefan had been the perfect couple and now, Damon, Athena and their son were seen as the most beautiful family of Mystic Fall, once again the Salvatore clan was flourishing and gaining more power as one of the founder's family.

"Damon…?" asked Odelle stopping mid-track in the middle of the street.

"Mm?" replied Damon; coming out of his reverie.

"Don't panic, but I think it's time…" she said sheepishly.

"Time?" he questioned looking at her and she pointed down to her big belly. "TIME!" he exclaimed. "Oh! O-Ok! Let's get to the car!"

"I did say not to panic…" she whispered to herself.

"I can't help it!" growled Damon.

…

Usually, it would have taken them an hour to get to the clinic outside Mystic Fall, but with Damon's driving, it had taken about twenty-seven minutes to arrive. As soon as he was parked, Damon took Odelle in his arms and brought her inside the quiet clinic. It was supposed to be closed for the day, but Damon had called Athena's doctor. Only two nurses and the Doctor were there.

The Vampire laid his mate on the clinic bed and in less than 5 minutes, he had compelled the three humans to sit with their eyes closed and be quiet until he told them to act differently. He went back to Athena who had undressed while he was away and had shifted back as herself.

"Is this going to be like the last time?" asked Damon still unused to this.

"Yes. I'll make sure to leave you some place in the bed when he's born. I know how possessive and protective you get." replied Athena as she took deep breaths.

"Does it hurt…" he said caressing the nape of her neck.

"A little bit, I guess it's like contraction, but more like shifting ones. Can you turn down the lights and make sure the front door is closed?"

"Of course!" he replied.

By the time he was coming back, he could hear soft whimpering. He looked by Athena's side and his newborn son was there. He would never get used to Athena's body after giving birth; if it wasn't for his newborn son lying beside his mate, he would have never guessed that she had been pregnant for the last nine months. Her body was back to its 'normal' shape.

"Tricky girl… Totally and impossibly incorrigible!" he said in a small laugh as he lied beside his mate and second son. "He's beautiful… Hello Aelwin."

Hearing his father's voice made Aelwin open his eyes and he looked toward where the sound had come from. Damon smiled down as he caressed his son's hair and cheek. When his hand was in his son's reach, Aelwin grab it and squeezed it as much as he could.

"Yes. Yes. I'm your dad!" said Damon chuckling.

Aelwin Ric Salvatore was almost a copy and paste of his older brother. He had the same skin tone and those amazing eyes, but it was the opposite of Rain; his right eye was blue like his father and the left one brown like his mother. He had just as many hairs as his brother had, but they were mid-brown.

"He's just as possessive as his dad, who would have guessed. I wish Rain was with us." she murmured exhausted. As easy as it seems to give birth to her second son; it was actually quite demanding on her shifting abilities to have a child.

"Sleep…" said Damon gently. "I texted Lucy earlier, when we were back in Mystic Fall and told her to come with Cleatus. They will bring Rain with them for sure."

"Okay." she whispered falling asleep.

Damon took his son in his arms and enveloped him in a blanket and left him in the incubator beside his mate's bed. He went to the doctor and his two assistants. He was about to compel them when he heard knocking at the front door; it was Cleatus.

"Hey." he said as he opened the door. "Care to help me with those powerful memory spells of yours?"

"Where are they?" asked Cleatus.

Damon pointed to a room and Cleatus was gone, leaving Damon alone with Lucy who was holding a sleeping Rain.

"How is she doing?" asked the Witch.

"Good. She's sleeping though. We should wait a little bit before waking her up."

"Give her your blood and she'll be as good as new." suggested Cleatus as he came back.

"Already done? I'm impressed!" exclaimed Damon.

Cleatus simply smirked.

They joined Athena silently. Damon woke her up gently.

"Hey love, drink please…" he said showing her his wrist and she did as he had asked. He could see her face brightening.

When she was done, she sat up and smiled at Damon before thanking him.

"Hi guys! Oh My little man!" she said happily when she saw Rain.

Lucy put Rain on his mother laps and he woke up. He blinked a few times, not knowing where he was, but gave his mom and daddy a happy squeal upon seeing them.

"Would you like to meet your baby brother Rain?" asked Damon to his eldest son.

"Yeah!" replied the toddler.

The Vampire took the newborn in his arms and brought him to his little family and sat close to them. Rain was wide eyed when he saw the tiny baby, but gave the most beautiful smile to his parent.

"Pretty Ael!" exclaimed Rain; which woke up his brother who looked up straight at him. Rain patted his brother's hairs as gently as he could and kissed him on the forehead. "Love you Ael…"

"We will leave you and wait for you back at home." cut in Cleatus, not getting any closer to the family. "The doctor is filling the birth certificate as we speak and the nurses are 'cleaning up the messes'. So, don't worry about anything. We took care of everything. You should be able to leave today, they will just think that you left later to make it believable. Oh, and I'll make sure to get everyone out of the way, just make sure to call one of us before you get home."

"Thank you Cleatus." replied Athena and Damon together.

…

This time around, it had only taken a week for Damon to be okay with people being close to his family and holding Aelwin. When Cleatus and Lucy had left, the Doctor had come back to ask for their son's name. It had taken Damon everything in him to restrain himself from killing the Doctor and the nurse when they had gotten too close to his family for his liking.

They had decided, for Damon's heart, not to bring Aelwin downstairs, but instead to make their friends and family come up to their bedroom small group at a time.

Everyone had passed and only Stefan was left; he had asked to pass the last. He knew that by passing last, it would give him more time with his new nephew.

The Vampire entered his brother and mate's bedroom and saw them sitting on the floor on a baby mat with Aelwin lying on his back. The baby was moving frantically as Damon kept tickling him and little squealing sounds could be heard from the boy. Athena smiled reassuringly at him as he got closer, after closing the door behind him. Stefan kneeled in front of Aelwin.

"You have to admit brother mine that my lady and I make very beautiful babies? Actually, we make THE most beautiful babies! Don't you think?" said Damon arrogantly, but never looking elsewhere than his son.

"Damon!" replied Athena laughing.

"Yes, Damon, your children are beautiful…" he answered as he let his nephew play with his fingers.

"It's coming for you too Stefan. You'll have this in your life soon enough!" said Athena encouraging the still human Vampire. She knew how much he wanted a family with Elena.

"Thank you Athena. Can I?" he asked, mimicking the move to hold the baby.

"Of course!" replied Damon, taking his son in his arms before putting him in Stefan's.

"Hey there little Aelwin!" murmured Stefan as he gently rubbed his nose against the baby Shape-shifter's; which made him squirted his face for a few second before squealing again.

"He's almost as worst as Rain when it comes to having everyone's attention." said Athena affectionately. "But what he loves above everything else is touch. It's the easiest way to please him… well that and obviously breast milk, he is such a glutton!"

Both Athena and Damon laughed at what seemed to be an inside joke. Aelwin smiled at Stefan when he caressed his cheek and seemed to have a hard time keeping his eyes opened as he started to make sucking noises.

"That's my cue!" exclaimed Athena, and Damon laughed as she picked up their son and went into the nursery. "Sorry Stefan…"

"So, when are you going to make your girlfriend pregnant?" asked Damon when Athena had closed the door.

"Damon…" warned Stefan.

"What? It was a legitimate question. I don't see what the problem is!" replied Damon innocently.

Stefan sighed and then laughed. "You know what Damon? I'll surprise myself by saying that; but you know what I admire the most about you?"

"My charms, obviously!" cut in Damon.

"No, clearly not." replied Stefan playfully. "No. I admire how you can be such an amazing father and 'husband' and still be a jerk at the same time. It's very impressive."

"I'll forget the last part!" replied Damon, fainting annoyance. "But thank you, coming from you, it is quite the compliment."

"I'll go back downstairs and leave you with _'your lady'_ as you call her." said Stefan as he got up.

He left the room quietly and Damon joined Athena who was feeding Aelwin, he looked over his eldest sleeping son and smiled.

* * *

><p>The years moved on…<p>

On October 12th 2014, Athena took Damon's name and became Athena Salvatore, but for the outside world, she would be known as Odelle Salvatore. They had waited until Aelwin had been able to walk before getting married. They had had two weddings, one with only their friends and family, where Athena was in her true form and a second one, where a lot more people had been invited. Both weddings had been amazing, but even more the honeymoon, which had gone for only a weekend. But the couple had promised each other that when their youngest son would be older they would take a whole week for themselves.

A week later, Lucy, Cleatus and their daughter Deana, had moved back to Montreal in Canada. But the Druid had promised to protect both Stefan and Elena from any danger. Which left the Boarding house to the two Salvatore brothers again, as Stefan and Elena had moved back in a month before.

A month later, Damon had come back to his room to find an unknown naked woman lying on her back in his bed upped on her elbows. She had seemed ethereal. She had dark blond hair, slightly curvy that had seemed to go down almost passed her back and a sun-kissed skin like his Athena. She had Odelle's body shape. When he had been about to scream murder, she had silenced him by presenting herself as 'Isis'. Her voice had sounded so powerful… like Cleatus or… Zeus! Damon had asked if she was Athena and she had laughed before changing into his mate. After a lot of effort, she had been able, with Cleatus help, to find a new form as a Druid. To say Damon had been happy would have been an understatement. The Vampire had been ecstatic to had fun with a new form of his wife.

Jeremy and Bonnie were now living together in the Gilbert house and Athena had given her house to Tyler and Caroline while Lucy had sold hers.

Being true best friends, and because Caroline had worked for a whole year to convince them to do so; Bonnie, Elena and the blond Vampire had decided to have a triple wedding on July 1st 2015. It had been a grandiose affair as Caroline had refused to have less than that for her and her best friends.

Around mid-2016, Elena learned that she was pregnant. It was the most wonderful news for the soon to be parents as they had been trying to have children for the last year with no result. They had started to lose hope about having children before their _'human time'_ was up.

So on March 17th 2017, after a very long nineteen hours, Elena Salvatore gave birth to fraternal twins; a girl, the oldest of the twins, Cassandra, and a boy named Kieran. Both children had their mother's hair and their father's eyes.

By the end of April of the same year, Damon and Athena had surprised everyone when they had announced their decision to leave Mystic Fall to join Lucy and Cleatus. To the contraire of the gang's belief, it had been the Vampire who had suggested the idea in the first place. It wasn't that he didn't enjoy Mystic Fall anymore; it was mostly due to the fact that with time, he had growth closer to Cleatus and Lucy and saw them as another Alaric/Deena pair. Not that the two couples acted the same, far from it, but they were older and the dynamic between them was what they enjoyed the most. Damon had asked for only one thing, that his room be left alone. A few weeks later, they had moved to Canada with their two sons.

At the end of the summer of 2017, Cleatus and Lucy had united their lives in the middle of Stonehenge. It had been a moment of pure joy for the couple. And Lucy had almost fainted when her powers had been enhanced during the ceremony because of her bonding with the Druid. The Sky had been the one to officiate the union. Of course, they had had a second wedding back in Mystic Fall. Just like Damon and Athena.

A year after the birth of their twins, Elena and Stefan Salvatore had woken up and knew that things had changed for them; their time was up and they were now both Vampires. The Sky had kept its promise and had even given them more time so that Elena could breastfeed her children.

It was in 2020, on a Sunday, during a really hot summer, that Bonnie realized that her periods were a few weeks late. That night, she had announced to her werewolf husband that she was pregnant. They had called everyone and a week later everyone was back at the Boarding house to celebrate the news.

On March 16th 2021, a day before her best friend's children 4th birthday, Bonnie gave birth to a healthy hybrid baby girl named Jewel Gilbert Bennett. A beautiful girl, with a light sun kissed skin, the green eyes of her mother and the charming smile of her father.

That year, for Christmas, the whole gang had reunited in Montreal to celebrate the Holidays together. Kids were running around, waiting impatiently to open their gifts as their parents stood close by; looking upon them smiling.

They gazed at each other, some had tears in their eyes as they could recognized the future they had been shown by the Sky so many years ago when they had defeated Klaus in the _Centaurus_ meadow.

In that moment, they knew, for sure; that nothing would ever destroy this and that no matter what, they would always stand strong and together against any foes.

On the 1st of January 2022, the Sky finally found the right gift to thank Damon for everything he had done; from his courage and strength for the _Centaurus_ spell to succeed, to their fight against Misao and Shinichi. Upon waking up, the eldest Salvatore was blessed with a beating heart and the most amazing ability he could have ever asked for; shape-shifting…

_**Fin…**_

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN:** Wow... Well, it's with a heavy heart that I say thank you guys and that this is the end of the Centaurus gang. usually I would say "review if you feel like it", but for once, I'll say a simple "Please review!" Just knowing that you enjoyed the story or even hated it (but at this point I don't expect haters to still be reading) LOL I would really love to have your thoughts. My afterword will follow this... So I'll stop babbling since I'm doing it in the afterword! Love ~Meye_

**Translation**  
><em><strong>Maman<strong>_**?** – Mommy?


	22. Afterword

**Sacrifices – Afterword**

Thank you so much guys for reading _Sacrifices_. I deeply appreciated all the comments and I'm glad that you've enjoyed the ride with me.

A very big big thank you to my beta-reader _OnyxvanGem. She is just amazing!_

So these were the last adventures of the _Centaurus_ gang. For now, I have no intention of writing anything else about them, but who knows… (Maybe season 3 or 4 will inspire me…) Cause let's face it, I'm really sad to be done with it and I would love to call this a trilogy. So I really hope I'll be able to write more one day.

If you have any unanswered questions, it will be my pleasure to answer them. Also, I'm not promising anything, but I'm open to prompts/themes if some of you wanted to throw them at me. (Like wanting to see some specific moments from their future or past)

About the deaths in the story; my mom always says that I'm cruel with the characters I love the most. LoL In _Centaurus_, I had originally planned on killing Alaric instead of Cleatus at the end. But by the time I got there, I had ideas for a sequel and changed my mind. (I rarely do that which was weird for me) As for Deena, her fate was sealed the moment I started to think of a sequel. The first scene I had in mind was (no surprise) Deena's death, then it was the prologue with Lucy and finally Damon killing Greta/Misao to save Athena (and the whole Trojan horse thing)

I'm posting a new story as you're reading this called _**Bonded**_ (Bamon); Au, middle-aged fic and a Dark one too. And I'm also working on building another one temporary called "Can I tell you a secret?" But, I can't really talk about it for now!

And also for my francophone readers, I've started to post a French version of this series if you'd like to read it again in French.

So thanks again guys for your support, I truly and very appreciate it! Love you all!

xoxo  
>Meye<p>

Ps: Cause I love to babble, instead of creating a new "story" for the Companion piece, I'll be adding the time line, OCs info and everything else after this chapter! See ya!


	23. Soundtrack

_Special thanks to: BrielleHalliwell1018, TinyDancer365, Haruka83_

* * *

><p><strong><span>Sacrifices: The Complete Soundtrack<span>**

This is a list of all the songs that inspired me for the story. The song that was the most inspiring for each chapter ended up as the title.

Celtic Woman – _Scarborough Fair_

Lady Antebellum – _Need you now_

Darren Hayes – _Hero_

Nelly Furtado – _Maneater_

30 Seconds to Mars – _The Kill_

30 Seconds to Mars – _Attack_

Tasmin Archer – _Sleeping satellite_ **or** Junior Caldera – _Sleeping satellite_

Mario Spinetti – _When you say my name_

Madonna – _Devil wouldn't recognize you_

Linkin Park – _Leave out all the rest_

Shawn Desman – _Shiver_

Imogen Heap – _The moment I said it_

Audiomachine – _An unfinished life_

Adele – _Set fire to the rain_

Adam Lambert – _Mad world_ **or** Gary Jules – _Mad world_

Madonna – _Live to tell_

Yanni – _So long my friend_

Najoua Belyzel – _Je ferme les yeux_

Celtic Woman – _The Voice_

RyanDan – _Like the sun_


End file.
